Material Design - The Much-Needed Standard for Web Design

Material Design is a concept created by Google that standardizes web design. Without Material Design, there is no real set of guidelines for design specifically geared towards the web and mobile apps. The web needs a better standard for design that is user-friendly, easy-to-use, and visually appealing. This is where Material Design comes in.

"We challenged ourselves to create a visual language for our users that synthesizes the classic principles of good design with the innovation and possibility of technology and science. This is material design." – Google

Material Design imagines elements made out of "paper", which has properties much like real life. Through visual effects, mainly to do with lighting, it can be easy to make "material" (the "paper" mentioned above) feel like the user is manipulating a physical object. By blending the boundaries between user interaction and the results that come from it, Material Design focuses on making every action feel as natural as possible.

Material Design focuses on three major principles. First of all, the foundation is built by "material," using visual cues to make the overall design feel like a physical layout that the user is manipulating. Second of all, Material design is bold, in that every fine detail is intentional, creating a structure, and maintaining focus throughout the website or app. Third of all, Material Design is meant to empower the user, putting the user in control of every motion, and making the user the "God" of the layout.

Material Design provides the necessary tools that will allow web developers to unify the web into a fluid, user-friendly design, improving the experience of everyday users, while diminishing the patchwork state that the web is in today.