Google's "Material Design" Approach to Interface Design, and the Hell of Providing Tech Support to Your Mom Over the Phone

By Rain Noe - June 30, 2014

in UX

An interface design is not successful just because you can figure out how to work it. The true test is whether you can explain to your parents, over the phone, how to work it. For any of you who have served as de facto tech support for your folks in this manner, this spot-on video by comedian Ronnie Chieng will be the funniest thing you'll see all week:

YouTube is of course a Google product, and they've got a lot more to worry about than how to delete comments—namely, their Android mobile OS intended for the next generation of smartphones, tablets, smartwatches and Glass. To that end, the Google Design site aims to spread the gospel of their design approach while laying down guidelines for those looking to operate within the Googleverse.

They've coined their approach to interface design "Material Design." By this they mean that interface design ought mimic the design of something involving a physical material. This does not refer to skeuomorphism, like Apple's scuttled faux-stitched-leather etc.; rather they mean that physical materials have easily comprehensible properties and that this predictability ought be emulated. You can pick a piece of paper up, flip it over, fold it in half, write on one side, write on the other. It does not zoom around your desk on its own nor spontaneously change color, but instead obeys the laws of physics and your physical manipulations.Exactly how Google intends to integrate this "Material" approach is described a little vaguely. A downloadable PDF is here, and they released this teaser video:

Looks cool. I still have my doubts that I could explain it over the phone to my folks, but that probably has more to do with my Ronnie-Chieng-like level of impatience than any design shortcoming.

For those looking for more, The Verge shot an interview with Matias Duarte, Google's Design veep, talking Material:

 

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