At Google I/O 2014, Google announced a new design language called Material Design for Android, Chrome OS and the web. Much like the Microsoft’s Modern UI design language (formerly know as Metro UI), Google’s Material Design language focuses on simplicity in design and use of bold colors and Typography. With Material Design guidelines, Google aims to establish a unified experience across its platforms and wide variety of devices.
Google has released detailed information and documentation regarding Material Design at its website which provides guidelines on design and interaction fundamentals such as animation, color, typography, layout principles and structure, components and essential patterns.
Have a look at the Material Design Introductory video below which illustrates how Google’s own android apps adapt with this new design guideline.
Information presented in Google’s Design Spec regarding material design is a must read for app developers and designers. For e.g. take a look at UI Color Palette or Typography. Google’s new design includes an updated version of the system font, Roboto. Roboto has been refined to work across the wider set of supported platforms. It is slightly wider and rounder, giving it greater clarity and making it more optimistic. The design of system icons is reduced to its minimal form (much like Windows Phone system icons)
Google also announced Android L Developer Preview and Android Studio Beta for app developers, which enables switching android app themes to the new Material Theme along with new widgets and animations.
One can play around (in chrome) with the Material Design UI presented in this QUIZ webapp at Google’s Polymer Project.
After Microsoft and Apple redesigning there UI to minimal form, Google has followed suit and adopted the minimal design with its Material Design language. It will be interesting to see how developers adapt their app’s user interface across various platforms. The key element in all these platforms’ design guidelines remains the same: simplicity and minimalism.
Learn more about Google’s Material Design at google.com/design.