Android UI is being transformed by Material Design 3 Expressive: What's new?

Google is preparing to introduce a new chapter in its Android design evolution with the unveiling of Material Design 3 Expressive at its annual developer event, Google I/O 2025, scheduled for May 20. While the company has officially acknowledged the upcoming design language, a blog post offering more detailed insights briefly appeared online before being removed. According to TechCrunch, this post revealed that Google’s fresh design direction will focus on crafting user interfaces that aim to forge a deeper emotional connection with users.

Material Design, which first debuted in 2014, is Google’s open-source design framework that offers a unified set of guidelines for creating user interfaces across Android platforms. This system encompasses visual design, motion, and user interaction principles. In 2021, Google introduced a significant update known as Material You or Material 3, which allowed users to personalize their UI through dynamic theming. For instance, changing the wallpaper would automatically adjust the system color scheme to harmonize with the new background, creating a uniquely tailored appearance.

Material Design 3 Expressive, according to the details shared in the prematurely published blog, appears to focus more on the underlying philosophy and user research than on technical implementation. It was described as utilizing bold shapes and vibrant colors to build visually engaging experiences. Internal research at Google indicates that more expressive visuals not only appeal to users emotionally but also enhance practical usability. These enhancements reportedly make it easier for users, especially older individuals, to focus on key interface elements and interact with them more efficiently.

As referenced by 9To5Google, Google’s findings are based on extensive studies including eye-tracking to identify natural focal points, feedback from surveys and focus groups to gauge emotional reactions to visual styles, data from experimental designs to assess user preferences, and usability testing to determine how intuitively users adapt to new interfaces. The conclusion drawn from this research was that expressive design elements help users identify important actions more quickly, resulting in smoother and faster navigation through apps.

Reports also suggest that Android will undergo a significant user interface refresh during the Android 16 update cycle. This revamp is expected to bring changes such as redesigned app icons, updated widgets, modified status bar elements, and a revamped quick settings layout, all of which may incorporate principles from Material Design 3 Expressive. With Google I/O approaching, it’s anticipated that developers and users will soon get a preview of this new design direction, along with gradual updates to Google’s own suite of apps reflecting this expressive visual style.