Just a few weeks ago, Google hosted Google I/O, its annual developer conference at San Francisco’s Moscone Center. This year we unexpectedly got a new version of Android with the temporary, not-yet-dessert-themed name Android M.
This year’s I/O came with some good announcements, including things like new battery and memory optimizations coming in the next version of Android, a formal introduction of Google Photos, Google Now on Tap, and much more. While this year’s announcements were good, they weren’t nearly as interesting as last year’s revamp of Android in what turned out to be the current version of the operating system, Android Lollipop.
The hallmark feature for Lollipop was a totally new design language called “material design.” The basic premise of material design is that everything feels, well, material. Instead of feeling like you’re interacting with a screen, things move more like they would if they were papers on your desk.
Google calls the material it’s using in this interface “quantum paper,” where it should behave and react to physics in a way that’s very similar to real paper. Google does all this with the intention of communicating more clearly what’s really happening within the interface.
It’s not easy to explain what material design is exactly, so check out this YouTube video as some of its creators try to explain what it means.
Now that you know all about what material design is, let’s talk about actually getting to use it. Lollipop’s been out for almost a year, and Google reports that 12.6% of Android users are currently on Lollipop. If you fall into that category, these seven Android apps using material design are well worth the download.
Action Launcher
One of the unique things about Android is that you can completely customize your device’s home screen experience by downloading a different launcher. Doing this will let you use custom icon packs, change animations on the home screen, change the home screen grid size, and a bunch of other options.
My go-to launcher replacement is Action Launcher, and it just so happens to do a pretty good job of adhering to material design guidelines.
Look for this: You’ll see that Action Launcher has adopted several of the stylings from Google’s own stock launcher where the app drawer and folders spread out in a slick animation. Action Launcher has also added a sliding quick drawer on the left side as well as a different take on folders called covers.
Falcon Pro
The majority of Twitter users probably just use Twitter’s first-party app, but what a lot of people don’t realize is that there are a bunch of great third-party options that have unique features and better designs. Falcon Pro is one that exemplifies what a Twitter app built for Android should look like.
Look for this: Falcon has material design incorporated in every aspect of the app. Every action is complemented with an animation that informs users of where they’re going, where they came from, and how to go back.
HipChat
We use HipChat at Hurrdat for IMing during office hours, so I was really excited when they recently redesigned the app and incorporated the material look. HipChat’s app is a simple one, but material design still helps make the app feel more cohesive and intuitive.
Look for this: Right away you’ll see the floating action button to start a new chat, along with sliding panes to get you to your current rooms and conversations. There’s a neat little shuffling animation when you enter conversations that fits in great with the “quantum paper” metaphor, so look for that as well.
Pocket Casts
I’m going to come out and say it, if you have an Android device and you love podcasts, stop reading this and download Pocket Casts right now. OK, you done? Good.
Pocket Casts is easily the best podcast app on Android — and don’t worry iOS users, they have an app there too. On Android, it’s a great example of what makes material design so intuitive and fun.
Look for this: Pocket Casts is loaded with slick animations and interesting ways of showing podcast art and information. The sliding panel to show podcast descriptions is one of the real highlights here, and it’s fun to play around with.
Swarm
Swarm’s gotten a bad rap after Foursquare split its app into two apps in 2014, but they’ve done a lot to clean up the service and the application’s design this year.
Look for this: From the floating action button to check in to the cute little animations tucked in everywhere, Swarm has done a lot of things right when it comes to incorporating Google’s new design language. The little wiggles when you open the sticker panel are especially charming.
Google Play Music
Obviously Google’s done a great job at getting its own apps to use material design, so I’ll be highlighting just a couple here.
Look for this: Google Play Music does a great job showing off the new design language with several slick animations like cards for albums and artists that shift into place, expanding artist views, and more.
Google+
Google+ might not be the most popular social network out there, but because it’s owned by Google, you can bet that it looks and works great on Android.
Look for this: Probably Google+’s biggest material design characteristic is what happens when you scroll a feed in the app. Every post flies up as a card in a way that’s almost so subtle that you can miss it.
Are there any other great apps using material design? Sound off in the comments.
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Hurrdat is a Lincoln, Neb. digital marketing agency specializing in social media and content marketing. The company was founded in 2010 and merged with B² Interactive of Omaha, Neb. in 2014 bringing even more digital marketing specialties to both firms’ clients. Together they provide a full range of social media, SEO, and website development services to both national brands and local clients. The companies employ more than 75 people in Nebraska and have won multiple awards for their business efforts, company culture, and clients’ campaigns.
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