1. Material is the metaphor

2. Bold, graphic, intentional

3. Motion provides meaning

4. Adaptive design

5. Depth and elevation

Material design is inspired by the physical world — surfaces, edges, and realistic lighting create familiar interfaces.

Use typography, color, and imagery to create hierarchy and meaning.

Motion should be responsive, natural, and help users understand spatial relationships.

Design for all screen sizes with responsive grids, breakpoints, and reflowable layouts.

Use shadows and elevation to create visual hierarchy and indicate interactivity.

More takeaways from the Material Design guidelines

1. Signifiers & animation to communicate gestures

2. Animated Icons

3. Material Color Palette Generator

4. Color

5. Material's type scale generator

6. Use Hero sounds & haptics to evoke emotional responses

7. Use motion to express your brand's personality and style

8. Use imagery to communicate and differentiate a product through visuals

9. Material uses density-independent pixels

10. Consider offline states