Android Design V2: Now with stencils
[This post is by Android designer Alex Faaborg, on behalf of the entire User Experience team. —Tim Bray] — When we initially released Android Design, by far the number one request we received was for us to release stencils as well.
Context & Ripple Effects
Android’s design guidance sits alongside a broader effort to make app interfaces feel more coherent: prior coverage examined Twitter for Android’s evolving UI patterns as developers adapted to the platform. Android Design V2 adds the reusable assets that its audience had explicitly requested, making the guidance easier to apply in design work.
First-order effects
- Android app designers gain official stencils to incorporate Android Design V2 conventions into wireframes and interface proposals.
- Android Design becomes a more practical workflow resource for teams that need reusable visual components, rather than guidance alone.
Second-order effects
- Developers and agencies working on Android apps have a common visual reference earlier in the design process, reducing room for divergent interpretations of the published guidance.
Third-order effects
- If teams adopt the stencils broadly, Android can exert more consistency over third-party app presentation through shared design tools as well as written recommendations.
The trend: Mobile platforms are extending developer guidance into reusable design assets to make interface conventions easier to reproduce across third-party apps.