Material Design Blog
 | |
| Type of business | Private |
|---|---|
Type of site | Web design website |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Founder(s) | Mantas Malukas |
| Key people | Mantas Malukas, Founder and Editor-in-chief |
| Employees | 9 |
| Website | materialdesignblog |
Material Design Blog (MDB) is a web design platform founded in 2015. It became a recognized resource for web designers and developers, offering curated themes, templates, UI kits and design inspirations aligned with Material Design principles.[1][2][3] The platform was widely referenced in web design communities for its collection of best practices, tools, and industry developments related to UI/UX design.[4][5][6]
Early adoption of Material Design
In 2014, Google introduced Material Design, a unified design system aimed at standardizing UI components across platforms and devices. This framework sought to bridge the gap between digital and physical experiences, incorporating elements like realistic motion, depth effects and layered interfaces. While Material Design was widely praised for its structured approach, its early adoption posed challenges[7] due to limited real-world implementations and a lack of third-party resources demonstrating its practical use.[8][9][10]
As Material Design gained traction,[11] several independent platforms emerged to document its adoption and provide resources for developers. Among these were Material Design Blog, which offered curated insights into real-world implementations,[12][13] UI frameworks and mobile applications, and UpLabs,[14] a design showcase highlighting Material Design-based UI elements and templates. While many similar early resources eventually became inactive or disappeared, these platforms played a role in shaping the broader understanding and application of Material Design principles.
Material Design adoption in apps
In the mid-2010s, major app redesigns to adopt Google's Material Design were covered extensively by tech media. Publications like VentureBeat, The Next Web and TechCrunch frequently announced when popular apps rolled out Material Design makeovers. For instance, Slack's Android app introduced a new look in version 2.0 to comply with Google's Material Design standards, which was widely reported as a significant update.[15] Similarly, The Next Web described Todoist's Material Design overhaul as a "huge update" that modernized the interface.[16] Even Facebook Messenger's 2016 redesign made headlines in mainstream outlets like TechCrunch[17] and Times of India,[18] underscoring how these UI transitions were perceived as major tech events rather than just routine version updates.
This widespread interest was driven by the fact that Material Design represented a major visual language shift for Android. By 2015, thousands of apps were adopting Google's design principles, fulfilling the vision of a unified look and feel across Android software.[19][20] Each major app that embraced this new design language signaled a broader trend, prompting media coverage as users anticipated a more cohesive Android experience. Tech observers recognized that if major platforms embraced Material Design, it would shape UI/UX trends across industries, extending beyond Android to influence web and even iOS design.[21]
When announcing these transitions, companies often framed their Material Design updates as user-centric improvements. Many emphasized that the redesigns aligned with Google's guidelines and enhanced the overall experience. Slack, for example, explicitly stated that its new Android version complied with Material Design standards, highlighting the introduction of a floating "+" action button for starting new chats, channels or messages - one of Material Design's hallmark UI elements.[22] Similarly, Facebook's David Marcus (head of Messenger) presented Messenger's update as a thoughtful evolution of the app, noting that the team took "every precaution to ensure you’d truly enjoy this evolution".[23] His statement acknowledged the redesign as a "painstakingly hard" process due to Messenger's massive user base, reinforcing the idea that this was not merely a cosmetic change but a deliberate UX improvement. Across the board, the messaging from companies positioned Material Design adoption as a necessary upgrade, one that made apps feel more intuitive, visually appealing and native to the evolving Android ecosystem.
The transition to Material Design was considered a major event in the tech industry for several reasons. First, Google's 2014 introduction of Material Design marked a sweeping shift in UI philosophy. It aimed to "give users a unified experience across platforms and device sizes,"[24] introducing cohesive visual and interaction principles. As a result, when high-profile apps adopted Material Design, they contributed to a more uniform and user-friendly Android experience. Each redesign validated Google's vision and signaled the broader impact of Material Design on digital product design and branding. From a usability perspective, Material Design updates promised not just fresh paint but tangible workflow improvements. The new design philosophy introduced responsive animations, clearer hierarchy, and refined UI patterns. Many apps paired their redesigns with usability enhancements.
Material Design Blog's role in documenting these updates
Major platforms, such as Etsy, used Material Design Blog to emphasize how adopting Material Design not only refreshed their apps visually but also improved navigation, accessibility and cross-platform consistency.[25][26]
Material Design Blog played a role in tracking and analyzing these transitions, highlighting how various companies approached their redesigns and the broader implications for UI/UX trends. The adoption of Material Design was not just an aesthetic upgrade, it represented a shift toward structured, intuitive and visually cohesive digital experiences.
Tech media and industry professionals closely followed these transformations, recognizing Material Design's lasting impact on UI/UX development. Platforms like Material Design Blog contributed to the broader discussion by showcasing these updates, explaining best practices and curating examples of how Material Design principles were applied in real-world digital experiences. The widespread adoption of Material Design ultimately set new industry standards, influencing UI design trends across Android, web and beyond.
Mentions in the web design community
Material Design Blog has been featured in design and technology publications[27] for its role in curating and analyzing Material Design principles, UI/UX trends[28][29][30] and web development innovations. It has been cited in industry reports and articles as a valuable resource for designers and developers[31] exploring modern web aesthetics.
See also
- Material Design
- Web application framework
- User experience
- User interface design
- Web development
- User experience
- Human interface guidelines
References
- ↑ "14 Hot Web Design Trends From 2015". Entrepreneur. 23 November 2015.
- ↑ "「フラットデザイン」の流行で失われた"触覚"をよみがえらせる「マテリアルデザイン」". 株式会社.
- ↑ "13 Sources of Material Design Inspiration". Elegant Themes.
- ↑ "10 Hottest Web Design Trends You Gotta Know for 2017". WPMUDEV. 9 January 2017.
- ↑ "Webデザインのネタ探しに！2019年のトレンドがわかる海外ギャラリー10選". BINDup.
- ↑ "24 Amazing Web Design Blogs You Should Follow in 2025". Usernap. 17 January 2023.
- ↑ "Google's big Android Lollipop challenge: Make Material Design stick". ZDNET. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
- ↑ "Google's design guidelines spell the end of days for skeumorphism". Dezeen. 26 July 2014. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
- ↑ "What is the Point of Material Design?". Designmodo. 9 July 2014. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
- ↑ "What are the real merits of material design?". TNW (website). 10 November 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
- ↑ "New to Material Design? 12 Principles You Need to Know". Adobe Inc. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
- ↑ "Material Design – Helpful Resources, Tools and Code Snippets". Web Designer Hut. 23 January 2017. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
- ↑ "The Ultimate Guide to Google's Material Design". Material Design Blog. 15 March 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
- ↑ "UpLabs thinks designers and developers should hang out more". TechCrunch. 7 March 2016. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
- ↑ "Slack revamps its Android app with Material design, emoji, team notifications, tabs". VentureBeat. 3 June 2015.
- ↑ "Todoist for Android gets a huge Material Design update". TNW (website). 23 June 2015.
- ↑ "Facebook gives Messenger a Material Design makeover on Android". TechCrunch. 7 March 2016.
- ↑ "Facebook gives Messenger a Material Design makeover on Android". The Times of India. Times of India. 8 March 2016.
- ↑ Kuang, Cliff. "The Smart Problem-Solving Behind Android's Awesome New Design Language". Wired. Wired (magazine).
- ↑ "Announcing the Material Design Showcase and Awards". Android Developers.
- ↑ "Counterpoint: Google's use of Material Design on iOS is great (even though I hate it)". TNW (website). 29 May 2016.
- ↑ "Slack for Android 2.0". Waybackmachine. Archived from the original on 2016-02-26.
- ↑ "Facebook Messenger gets a Material Design makeover on Android". TNW (website). 7 March 2016.
- ↑ "Facebook gives Messenger a Material Design makeover on Android". The Times of India. Times of India. 8 March 2016.
- ↑ "Etsy App for Android". Material Design Blog. 7 May 2015.
- ↑ "Glide for Android finally gets Material Design makeover". Material Design Blog. 6 May 2015.
- ↑ "Top 10 Web Design Trends To Watch Out For In 2016". Engadget. 19 May 2016.
- ↑ "10 web design trends that ruled 2015". TNW (website). 25 December 2015.
- ↑ "De invloed van Google: van flat naar material design". Emerce.nl.
- ↑ "30 Infographics About Graphic Design Trends". Hongkiat. 27 February 2017.
- ↑ "About us". 5 December 2014.
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