Google's Material 3 Expressive: A Vibrant Leap Forward in UI Design

Discover how Google's latest design evolution brings emotion, functionality, and personalization to the forefront of user experience.

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Taken from Google Research

What is Material 3 Expressive?

Material 3 Expressive is Google's most extensively researched update to its design system, Material Design. Building upon the foundations of Material You, this new approach emphasizes bold colors, dynamic animations, and personalized theming to create interfaces that are not only functional but also emotionally engaging.

Vibrant smartphone apps using M3 Expressive tactics and components.
Taken from Google Research

The Research Behind the Design

Over three years, Google conducted 46 studies involving more than 18,000 participants worldwide to inform the development of Material 3 Expressive. The research focused on how design elements like color, shape, size, motion, and containment impact usability and user emotion. Key findings include:

Horizontal bar chart shows the percentage of people who favor expressive design across different age groups.
Taken from GL

  • Enhanced Usability: Users could identify key UI elements up to four times faster with expressive designs compared to previous versions.
  • Emotional Connection: Well-applied expressive design was strongly preferred across all age groups, with 87% of users aged 18-24 favoring it.
  • Brand Perception: Expressive designs increased perceptions of modernity by 34%, subcultural relevance by 32%, and innovation by 30%.

Key Features of Material 3 Expressive

Expressive design for a music playlist
Taken from GL

1. Bold and Dynamic Visuals

Material 3 Expressive introduces a vibrant color palette, including purples, pinks, and corals, moving away from the minimalist aesthetics of previous designs. These colors are not just for aesthetics; they help in guiding user attention and improving readability.

2. Personalized Theming

Building on Material You, the new design allows for deeper personalization. Dynamic color theming now integrates more extensively across Google's ecosystem, adapting to user preferences and content.

3. Enhanced Typography and Motion

The adoption of variable fonts like Roboto Flex and Roboto Serif offers a wide range of thicknesses and styles, adapting seamlessly to different screen sizes. Animations are designed to be "springy," providing responsive feedback and making interactions feel more natural.

4. Improved Accessibility

Expressive design elements, such as larger buttons and high-contrast visuals, have been shown to level the playing field for users of all ages and abilities, making interfaces more inclusive.

Impact on Google's Ecosystem

Material 3 Expressive is set to debut with Android 16 and Wear OS 6, initially rolling out to Pixel devices. Google apps like Gmail, Google Photos, and Fitbit are already adopting the new design language, offering a more cohesive and personalized user experience.

Expressive components
Taken from GL

Conclusion: A New Era of Expressive Design

Material 3 Expressive marks a significant shift in Google's design philosophy, focusing on emotional engagement and user personalization without compromising functionality. As this design language rolls out across devices and applications, users can expect a more vibrant, intuitive, and inclusive digital experience.

Find the full Google research here

Content by

Nicolas Marquez
Communications, Brand and Strategy Manager (Associate) LATAM

Created on

May 18, 2025

Updated on

May 18, 2025

Blog Category

Neuro Design

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