This is Material Design, Android’s New UI Paradigm

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You may recall that a few weeks ago, we talked about Quantum Paper and how it aims to bring a unified design paradigm to all of Google’s products. Then just minutes before the start of the Google I/O 2014 keynote (which is currently going on, FYI), the Android Developers YouTube channel dropped a little tidbit about the future of Android. Now, head of Android User Experience Matias Duarte officially unveiled Material Design, which defines not only the user interface design on Android, but also across all screens.

Android Material Design is key to the fresh new look in Android L. Because humans are wired to understand shapes, Material Design is inspired by paper and ink. But unlike its analog counterpart, Material Design is able to reform dynamically thanks to a new elevation value and surfaces that respond to motion and offer splashes of animated, color feedback. In addition to the new paradigm, Material Design offers seamless animations from any screen to any other, even between activities and apps.

Polymer will be used to create Material Design-compliant layouts. And in order to to do this more easily, Google has updated its its design guidelines with best practices and more.

This is a massive visual overhaul, folks, and it looks like a good one. What do you think of Material Design? Let us know in the comments below!