Google accidentally reveals upcoming Android Material redesign

Google I/O is just around the corner, and we've already gotten a glimpse of the Material 3 Expressive design language the company will be announcing at the event. However, it looks like we won't have to wait that long, as Google has accidentally (or perhaps intentionally) shared a full blog about the redesign ahead of the official event.

The blog shared details about the new design language, but it was quickly taken down. However, the Wayback Machine captured the post. The images don't show up in the archived blog, but someone at 9to5Google quickly captured some images.

According to Google, Material 3 Expressive is built on core principles to 'inspire emotion, communicate functionality, and help users achieve their goals .' Additionally, 'this design aspect is also the foundation for making products easier to use by drawing attention to what's important in an interface: highlighting key actions and grouping similar elements together . '

The Mountain View-based company calls this 'the most researched update to Google's design system ever .' The research includes:

1. Eye Tracking : Analyze where users focus their attention
2. Surveys and focus groups : Measuring emotional responses to different designs
3. Testing : Collecting emotional and preference information
4. Usability : See how quickly participants can understand and use the interface

All this testing and research helped Google develop Material 3 designs. Feedback showed that, 'it was rated significantly higher on attributes including: Energetic, Emotive, Positive vibe, Creative, Playful and Friendly' . It also proved to be more fun, as designs with Material 3 showed 32% higher relevance, 34% increase in modernity and 30% increase in edginess.

But that's not all. The redesign also helps users find key design elements up to 4x faster. It also helps older demographics like those 45 and older take actions on par with younger users.

With all these figures, Material 3 Expressive is shaping up to be a pretty interesting update to Android's design language, and some people are eager to try it out. However, not everyone is a fan of the One UI + OxygenOS-like changes to the look and feel of the software.

Isabella Humphrey

Update 12 May 2025