Update Top 6 elements of Android Material App Design

Material design is the new design language for Android and defines the visual, motion and interaction design across platforms and devices. Google has a material design specification that offers guidelines for using material design for app development on the platform. These can be used on Android 5.0 lollipop version on-wards. We discuss 6 elements of material design for Android apps development.

Key Summary

Below is a detailed analysis of the six key elements of Material Design for Android app development, with connections to e-commerce, data science, Rails, Android frameworks, Python frameworks, internet technologies, MVP development, time management, social media tools, programming languages, full-stack development, Angular, and JavaScript.

1. Material Theme

• Description: The Material Theme defines the look and feel of Android UI components (views and activities). Built into Android Lollipop, it’s used by the system UI and applications. Users can customize the system-wide appearance via the Settings menu. Available flavors include:
  • Theme.Material: Default dark theme.
  • Theme.Material.Light: Light theme for brighter UIs.
  • Theme.Material.Light.DarkActionBar: Light theme with a dark action bar.
• Technical Details: Themes are applied via XML in res/values/styles.xml, e.g., <style name=”AppTheme” parent=”Theme.Material.Light”>. They control colors, typography, and component styles.
• Connections:
  • E-Commerce: Enhances Shopify mobile apps with consistent theming, using Django APIs and Snowflake analytics (aligned with Q15 in Angular article for Angular Material).
  • Data Science: Powers real-time dashboards with themed UIs, integrated with Rails and Tableau (Q19 in Angular article).
  • Rails: Complements Rails frontends with XML layouts, using Android FrameLayout (Q35 in JavaScript article).
  • Android Frameworks: Integrates with Flutter for themed UIs, leveraging Activity Lifecycle (Q1 in Android developer article).
  • Python Frameworks: Sanic supports themed API responses, paired with Redshift (Q46 in Angular article).
  • Internet Technologies: Aligns with Figma for UI prototyping, enhancing WebAssembly apps (Q35 in JavaScript article).
  • MVP Development: Ensures consistent MVP UIs, tracked with Scoro (Q40 in Angular article).
  • Time Management: Asana manages theming tasks (Q8 in JavaScript article).
  • Social Media Tools: Hootsuite integrates with themed UIs for campaign apps (Q44 in JavaScript article).
  • Programming Languages: Kotlin applies Material Themes; JavaScript enhances web UIs (Q1 in programming languages article).
  • Full-Stack: Aligns with UI consistency (Q25 in full-stack article).
  • Angular/JavaScript: Complements Angular Material (Q15 in Angular article) and DOM manipulation (Q35 in JavaScript article).

2. Widgets for Cards and Lists

• Description: Two widgets enhance data presentation:
  • RecyclerView: A flexible widget for lists/grids with multiple layouts (e.g., linear, grid) and high performance via view recycling.
  • CardView: Displays information cards with rounded corners and shadows.
• Technical Details: RecyclerView requires an Adapter and LayoutManager (e.g., LinearLayoutManager). CardView is styled via XML attributes like cardCornerRadius and cardElevation.
• Connections:
  • E-Commerce: RecyclerView powers BigCommerce product lists, using Pyramid and Domo (Q36 in Angular article).
  • Data Science: Displays ML results in cards, integrated with Rails and Tableau (Q46 in JavaScript article).
  • Rails: Enhances Rails dashboards with CardView, using Android WebGL (Q14 in Angular article).
  • Android Frameworks: Integrates with Ionic for list-based UIs, leveraging DDMS (Q10 in Android developer article).
  • Python Frameworks: AIOHTTP serves list data, paired with Tableau (Q46 in Angular article).
  • Internet Technologies: Lit Web Components mimic CardView, using Figma (Q18 in JavaScript article).
  • MVP Development: RecyclerView ensures scalable MVP lists, tracked with ProofHub (Q40 in Angular article).
  • Time Management: Toggl tracks widget development (Q48 in JavaScript article).
  • Social Media Tools: Sprout Social uses RecyclerView for post feeds (Q44 in JavaScript article).
  • Programming Languages: Kotlin implements RecyclerView; JavaScript supports web lists (Q46 in JavaScript article).
  • Full-Stack: Aligns with UI components (Q31 in full-stack article).
  • Angular/JavaScript: Complements NgFor for lists (Q14 in Angular article) and map/filter (Q46 in JavaScript article).

3. Custom Shadows and View Clipping

• Description: Elevation defines UI element depth via custom shadows, set in DP (density-independent pixels). View clipping shapes elements (e.g., rounded corners).
• Technical Details: Use android:elevation or View.setElevation() for shadows; clipToOutline for clipping.
• Connections:
  • E-Commerce: Enhances WooCommerce app buttons with shadows, using Bottle and Redshift (Q15 in Angular article).
  • Data Science: Visualizes data cards with elevation, integrated with Rails and Tableau (Q35 in JavaScript article).
  • Rails: Complements Rails UIs with shadow effects, using Android XML layouts (Q44 in JavaScript article).
  • Android Frameworks: Integrates with React Native for elevated UIs, leveraging Activity Manager (Q5 in Android developer article).
  • Python Frameworks: Web2Py serves shadowed UI data, paired with Informatica (Q46 in Angular article).
  • Internet Technologies: Nvidia Omniverse designs 3D shadows, using Photoshop on the Web (Q35 in JavaScript article).
  • MVP Development: Elevation enhances MVP aesthetics, tracked with Replicon (Q42 in Angular article).
  • Time Management: Scoro tracks UI design tasks (Q8 in JavaScript article).
  • Social Media Tools: Spredfast uses elevated buttons for campaign UIs (Q44 in JavaScript article).
  • Programming Languages: Kotlin applies elevation; JavaScript enhances web shadows (Q17 in JavaScript article).
  • Full-Stack: Aligns with CSS styling (Q11 in full-stack article).
  • Angular/JavaScript: Complements Angular Material shadows (Q15 in Angular article) and DOM styling (Q35 in JavaScript article).

4. Vector Drawables

• Description: Vector graphics defined in XML scale without losing quality, requiring only one asset for all screen densities.
• Technical Details: Defined in res/drawable using <vector> tags; support path-based rendering.
• Connections:
  • E-Commerce: Vector drawables enhance Yo!Kart icons, using CherryPy and Domo (Q15 in Angular article).
  • Data Science: Visualizes charts with scalable icons, integrated with Rails and Tableau (Q46 in JavaScript article).
  • Rails: Complements Rails UIs with vector icons, using Android WebGL (Q35 in JavaScript article).
  • Android Frameworks: Integrates with Xamarin for scalable graphics, leveraging DDMS (Q10 in Android developer article).
  • Python Frameworks: Tornado serves icon data, paired with Tableau (Q46 in Angular article).
  • Internet Technologies: WebAssembly optimizes vector rendering, using Figma (Q18 in JavaScript article).
  • MVP Development: Vector drawables ensure lightweight MVP assets, tracked with Toggl (Q40 in Angular article).
  • Time Management: ProofHub tracks icon design tasks (Q48 in JavaScript article).
  • Social Media Tools: OnlyPult uses vector icons for campaign UIs (Q44 in JavaScript article).
  • Programming Languages: Kotlin implements vector drawables; JavaScript supports SVG (Q35 in JavaScript article).
  • Full-Stack: Aligns with responsive design (Q31 in full-stack article).
  • Angular/JavaScript: Complements Angular Material icons (Q15 in Angular article) and DOM manipulation (Q35 in JavaScript article).

5. Custom Animations

• Description: Provide user feedback and visual continuity via default and custom animations for touch feedback, circular reveal, activity transitions, curved motion, view state changes, and state list drawables.
• Technical Details: Use Animator APIs (e.g., ObjectAnimator, AnimatorSet) for custom animations; XML animators for predefined effects.
• Connections:
  • E-Commerce: Circular reveal enhances OpenCart transitions, using Vibora and Snowflake (Q31 in Angular article).
  • Data Science: Animations visualize ML model updates, integrated with Rails and Tableau (Q46 in JavaScript article).
  • Rails: Complements Rails dashboards with animated UIs, using Android WebGL (Q14 in Angular article).
  • Android Frameworks: Integrates with NativeScript for animated UIs, leveraging ThreadPool (Q5 in Android developer article).
  • Python Frameworks: Django serves animation data, paired with Redshift (Q46 in Angular article).
  • Internet Technologies: Lit Web Components support web animations, using Figma (Q18 in JavaScript article).
  • MVP Development: Animations enhance MVP interactivity, tracked with Asana (Q42 in Angular article).
  • Time Management: Scoro tracks animation tasks (Q8 in JavaScript article).
  • Social Media Tools: Simply Measured uses animations for campaign visuals (Q44 in JavaScript article).
  • Programming Languages: Kotlin implements animations; JavaScript supports CSS animations (Q46 in JavaScript article).
  • Full-Stack: Aligns with UI interactions (Q31 in full-stack article).
  • Angular/JavaScript: Complements Angular animations (Q31 in Angular article) and event handling (Q44 in JavaScript article).

6. APIs for Custom Shadows and Animations

• Description: New APIs enable custom shadows and animations for UI controls, view state changes, and activity transitions. Features include:
  • Touch feedback: Visual response to user interactions.
  • Circular reveal: Smooth hide/show animations.
  • Activity transitions: Seamless navigation between screens.
  • Curved motion: Natural animation paths.
  • View state changes: Animate property changes.
  • State list drawables: Support vector drawables, color extraction, and drawable tinting.
• Technical Details: Use ViewAnimationUtils.createCircularReveal() for reveals; TransitionManager for transitions; StateListDrawable for state-based visuals.
• Connections:
  • E-Commerce: Touch feedback enhances Squarespace apps, using Sanic and Domo (Q31 in Angular article).
  • Data Science: Circular reveal visualizes data transitions, integrated with Rails and Tableau (Q46 in JavaScript article).
  • Rails: Complements Rails UIs with animated transitions, using Android AIDL (Q35 in JavaScript article).
  • Android Frameworks: Integrates with Flutter for custom animations, leveraging Activity Manager (Q5 in Android developer article).
  • Python Frameworks: AIOHTTP serves animation APIs, paired with Informatica (Q46 in Angular article).
  • Internet Technologies: WebAssembly optimizes animation performance, using Photoshop on the Web (Q18 in JavaScript article).
  • MVP Development: APIs ensure interactive MVPs, tracked with Replicon (Q42 in Angular article).
  • Time Management: Toggl tracks API development (Q48 in JavaScript article).
  • Social Media Tools: Spredfast uses animation APIs for campaign UIs (Q44 in JavaScript article).
  • Programming Languages: Kotlin implements animation APIs; JavaScript supports web animations (Q46 in JavaScript article).
  • Full-Stack: Aligns with API-driven UIs (Q31 in full-stack article).
  • Angular/JavaScript: Complements Angular animation APIs (Q31 in Angular article) and event listeners (Q44 in JavaScript article).

Material theme

It is the interface style that establishes the look and feel of views and activities. This element is built into the Lollipop and is used by the system UI and applications. The user can dynamically set the system-wide appearance with this element from their Settings menu. There are 3 flavours of Material Theme :

• Theme.Material
• Theme.Material.Light
• Theme.Material.Light.DarkActionBar

Widgets for cards and lists

There are two new widgets for displaying cards and lists:

• RecyclerView – with multiple layout options and supports high performance
• CardView – display information inside a card

Custom shadows and view clipping

With custom shadows and view clipping, elevation of UI elements are introduced. Elevation determines the shadow cast by each view can can be set for layouts defined in DP for any view.

Vector drawables

They are vector graphics the recipe for which is written in an XML format that can be executed with a series of draw commands. Their advantage is that they can be scaled without losing definition and only one asset file is required for each screen density.

Custom animations

With material design, animation gives users feedback on actions and visual continuity to interact with the app. There is some default animation button and activity transitions which can be customized or new ones can be created. There are custom animation APIS for –

• Touch feedback
• Circular Reveal
• Activity transitions
• Curved motion
• View state changes
• State list drawables -Vector Drawables ,Colour extraction, Drawable tinting

APIs for custom shadows and animations

Material Design has new APIS for custom design and shadows. You can use animation APIs to create custom animations for UI controls, changing view state and activity transition. The new APIs allow you to:

• • Respond to touch events
  • Hide and show views with circular reveal
  • Add customized activity transition
  • Create natural animations with curved motion
  • Animate multiple view properties with view state change animations
  • Add animations to state list drawables

We are excited about commencing android app development for Lollipop and Marshmallow using these cool features. Get in touch for your development needs too.