Celebrating Ten Years of Material Design

It’s hard to believe that a decade has passed since the launch of Material Design.

When it was released ten years ago, Google’s open-source design system promised a bold, minimalist aesthetic grounded in the physics of the real world, but unburdened by its limitations. It felt real when so many interfaces somehow did not. And it was underpinned by a philosophy, a set of principles for what good design can do.

Of course, there was skepticism. Could this new visual language truly be as versatile and adaptable as Google designers hoped? Could it beat the hype and organizational entropy to leave a lasting mark on Google? On the digital landscape?

A decade later, Material Design has become the lingua franca of user interfaces, influencing countless apps and websites across platforms. It’s reshaped the way we move through the digital world, and transformed how designers and developers build products.

To celebrate the anniversary of this landmark moment in design history—Happy Birthday, Material!—we’re publishing a compendium of collective knowledge that explores Material’s origins, core principles, and effects. You’ll get a comprehensive view via a timeline following the evolution of Google design from 1996 until today. And through new interviews, articles, and podcasts, you’ll hear from the people who brought it to life, and explore how it continues to evolve to meet the demands of an ever-changing digital world.

To harness Material in your own work, head over to m3.material.io to find comprehensive design guidelines, component specs, and UX best practices. Or make a copy of the M3 Design Kit and start designing and prototyping in Figma.