Google unveiled a new cross platform design language, labeled as material design, as part of the next version of Google’s Android mobile operating system, known as the Android L-release.
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Material Design is special in the way that it binds an element of depth to the operating system while keeping the entire things look smooth. Also, the new design comes with an updated version of the system font, Roboto. With the advanced features of this new design, the consumer will be able to enjoy super fast, colorful and highly finished animations.
With built-in real time user interface shadows and highly advanced visual features, this design is about to bring a revolution.
Matias Durate – “We imagined… what if pixels didn’t just have color, but also depth? What if there was a material that could change its texture? This lead us to something we call ‘material design’.”
Yes!! Google even showed some apps during its I/O press conference to give an idea of the look and feel of the same and get an insight about the upcoming changes. For instance, the phone dialer will now have an entirely new look with appealing animation effects. Not only this, Multitasking and Notifications have also been updated. Even, the company would be launching the updated versions of Google’s flagship apps like Gmail and Calendar, for both Android and web. So, if you get a much cleaner and simpler interface in Gmail, it’s no surprise.
The design, as showcased in the conference, looks quite similar to Microsoft’s Win 8 and Windows Phone 8 design as it includes large squares and rectangles with colorful images. Instead of incorporating any icons or windows, all you can see is big and bold squares.
While, on one hand, the color scheme seems copied from Apple’s iOS 8; on the other hand, the feature of material wherein it provides live info from the apps, seems analogous to Microsoft.
According to Sundar Pichai who is the head of Android at Google, the introduction of material design is aimed to achieve a fresh, bold and new look for Android.
One of the most fascinating features in the new Android L-release is the security measure called as Personal Unlocking. This feature enables the device to detect personal environment. For example, if you are wearing your smart watch, it can detect that and will get to know automatically that it’s you using the smart phone and thus, it won’t request any PIN. A similar feature is soon expected to be seen in Chrome OS, wherein the device is set to automatically unlock when it detects a users’ smart phone in the vicinity.
The Android L version will also allow users to separate their personal and business apps on the same device which is a big plus.
Google’s initiative to improved design through the launch of this new design language is not all about giving consumers an enhanced end user interface, but to give a tough competition to Apple; may be not just Apple, but Microsoft too.
So, we can say that Google is all set to lay down the guidelines so that all the apps have a consistent look much similar to Apple that has its own specific designing guidelines for Mac and iOS developers.
Although the new material design showcase many promising features like improved visual effects, icons and motion effect, there is still a lot to come forth and it will only be proved in the coming months how much beneficial it actually turn out to be for the end users.
