Google is because of unveil its new “Materials 3 Expressive” design system at I/O 2025 this month, however somebody on the firm by chance revealed a weblog put up about it this week. It was promptly deleted however the Wayback Machine already archived it and the quick-thinking of us at 9to5Google saved the photographs as nicely.
The weblog put up itself was all concerning the analysis that went into the brand new design system for Android 16. Google spent three years finishing up varied research and experiments with over 18,000 members, together with:
- Eye monitoring to see the place folks focus their consideration
- Surveys and focus teams to collect opinions and impressions
- Experiments to find preferences
- Usability assessments to see how rapidly folks might be taught to make use of the interface

As you may guess from the naming, Google goes for an “expressive” design with this new system, which is all about making folks “really feel one thing” after they work together with the UI. In line with Google’s analysis, that is each standard with youthful folks and simple to make use of for older folks.
These pictures from the weblog illustrate the distinction between expressive design and non-expressive design.


The Gmail app mockup is essentially the most hanging to me, it does really feel like electronic mail app designs are nonetheless caught up to now “simply because.” I wish to see the photographs I connect and work with a design that really feels prefer it was made for a telephone.
Huge textual content, larger important buttons, floating toolbars, and “daring use of form and shade” are a number of the important concepts behind Materials 3 Expressive — however the pictures Google posted aren’t essentially what you’ll find yourself with in your telephone.
Initially, they’re presently solely idea designs — no precise product exists but. Secondly, when producers like Samsung or Nothing make an Android telephone, they make their very own UI designs which all look a bit totally different.
Now that we’ve seen a number of pictures and realized lots concerning the analysis course of, all that’s left is to seek out out precisely how (and when) Materials 3 Expressive will likely be applied. Hopefully, I/O 2025 will reply these questions.
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