If Google wants Material 3 Expressive to succeed, it must lead by example

There are plenty of positive signs, but can Google keep up the momentum?

May 25, 2025 - 16:50

If Google wants Material 3 Expressive to succeed, it must lead by example

Every big UI update has its fans and detractors and Material 3 Expressive is no exception. I’ve seen so many contrasting takes online about Android’s incoming design language refresh, with some loving the focus on aesthetics and others decrying the lack of practical additions. While I find myself in neither camp, at least not at this early stage, I do have one big concern. Given Google’s history of design inconsistency across its various apps and products, it really needs to hit the ground running once it starts rolling out Material 3 Expressive.

The refreshed, modernized design language is the boldest we’ve seen from Google thus far. Full of personality, it places a huge emphasis on blur effects, natural animation physics, and an abundance of color themes. We’re also getting updated typography, a litany of new element shapes, and changes to Android’s core UI components, like quick settings. It’s a surprisingly broad stroke of the brush, and the latest attempt by Google to keep its mobile OS exciting and engaging. But these adjectives mean nothing: implementation — and the speed at which it happens — is what’s important.