Google's Rich Fulcher Discusses Material Design's Origins and Impact

It’s been nearly three years since Google announced Material Design at the launch of the 2014 Google I/O conference. Rich Fulcher, Google’s head of Material Design UX and Engineering, recently sat down with High Resolution to discuss the origins of the new design language and how it has been shaping the web.

When Larry Page returned as Google’s CEO in 2010, part of his mandate was to “make Google beautiful.” Material Design, as an effort to unify the aesthetic of Google’s various applications, was one of the key new developments to result from that mandate. The new design language makes more use of things like bright colours, three-dimensional interfaces, large images and depth.

In his interview with High Resolution, Fulcher discusses how the process of creating a unified design language for a global company was no easy task. Breaking down the project into small steps was key, as was having a strong culture that encouraged cross-communication across many disciplines. He notes that at the beginning “everything was messy.” But the idea for Material Design actually emerged from that first week of brainstorming, when one team member suggested using a more photo-realistic environment to draw attention to important elements in the interface. The idea blossomed from there.

Even though Material Design was developed primarily for Android apps, web developers took note and began to incorporate its design characteristics into websites for all device types and platforms. Now it is easy to spot the Material Design influence in websites worldwide – including here in New Zealand.

One New Zealand web design company that has noticed the impact of Material Design is JAG Creative. As one of New Zealand’s established graphic design companies, JAG Creative works with a number of businesses and brands to build beautiful and strategically engineered websites.

“Right now the Material Design aesthetic is big. That means more grid-based layouts and responsive animations, as well as cool effects like lighting and shadows,” says Gary Richards, JAG Creative’s Director. “We always aim to keep on top of the latest design trends here at JAG Creative. That’s why when it comes to graphic design Auckland businesses trust us to deliver creative and functional results.”

Having an aesthetically pleasing and functional website design is one of the most important aspects of brand development and recognition. “Whatever design language you use, the most important thing is to make sure that your website and branding are consistent and reflective of your company’s values and aesthetic,” says Richards.