Material Design has three-dimensional qualities that are reflected in its use of surfaces, depth, and shadows.

Surfaces

In the Material Design environment, the UI illuminated by virtual light sources called key lights and ambient lights. Material surfaces cast shadows when they obstruct light sources.

Light and Shadows

"Elevation is the relative distance between two surfaces along the z-axis."

Component elevation values:
- Nav drawer: 16dp
- App bar: 4dp
- Card: 1dp to 8dp
- FAB: 6dp
- Button: 2dp to 8dp
- Dialog: 24dp

Elevation in Design Science 

Material Design mirrors the material world in the way objects and elements move and interact on the interface. 

- Surfaces
- Elevation
- Light and Shadows

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Material Design is a system of guidelines built by Google that is focused on helping teams of designers and developers build the best regions, surfaces, and components in user interfaces. This system is the groundwork for both wide and narrow UI viewpoints that are applicable to Android, iOS, Flutter, and the web. 

Material Design System

Material Design Documentation

Environment

"Navigation is the act of moving between screens of an app to complete tasks. It’s enabled through several means: dedicated navigation components, embedding navigation behavior into content, and platform affordances."

Types of navigation:
- Understanding Navigation
- Navigation Transitions
- Search

Navigation

- The color system
- Applying color to UI
- Color usage 
- Text legibility
- Dark theme

Color

Sound communicates information in ways that improve the user experience

Sound

Typography can bring together a design or feel of a product.

Typography

- Confirmation & acknowledgement
- Data formats
- Data visualization
- Empty states
- Help & feedback
- Imagery
- Launch screen
- Onboarding
- Offline states
- Writing

Communication

Material surfaces can be displayed in different shapes. Shapes direct attention, identify components, communicate state, and express brand.

* Shaping material
* Shape and meaning
* Components and shape
* Shape customization tool
* Implementation

Shape

Interaction in UI

- [Material 3 Figma file](https://www.figma.com/community/file/1035203688168086460)
- [Meterial theme builder Figma file](https://www.figma.com/community/plugin/1034969338659738588/Material-Theme-Builder)
- M2 Adobe XD file (download on the [design resource section](https://m2.material.io/resources))
- M2 Sketch file (download on the [design resource section](https://m2.material.io/resources))

Learn Before

Related

Learn After