Material 3 Expressive Design System

Material 3 Expressive (M3E) is Google’s most researched design system update, based on 46 studies with 18,000+ participants. It creates emotionally engaging user experiences through strategic use of color, shape, size, motion, and containment.

Quick Reference

Core Expressive Elements

1. Color – Expanded tonal palettes, container tiers, emotional selection
2. Shape – Expressive radii, containment, visual boundaries
3. Size – Larger touch targets, visual hierarchy
4. Motion – Energetic transitions, emotional timing
5. Containment – Surface elevation, tonal separation

When to Use M3 Expressive

• Media and entertainment applications
• Communication apps (email, messaging)
• Social platforms
• Creative tools
• Consumer-facing products

When to Avoid M3 Expressive

• Banking and financial applications
• Safety-critical interfaces
• Healthcare and medical software
• Productivity tools requiring efficiency
• Forms-heavy applications

Platform Support

• Android – Dynamic color, Android 16 integration, native behaviors
• Linux Desktop – Keyboard navigation, focus management, desktop interactions

Key Research Findings

• 87% preference among 18-24 age group
• 4x faster element recognition
• 32% increase in subculture perception
• 34% boost in modernity
• Erases age-related usability gaps

Flutter Integration

Use the m3e_design package for M3 Expressive implementation:

dependencies:
  m3e_design: ^0.2.1
  dynamic_color: ^1.8.1

Next Steps

1. Review FOUNDATIONS.md for core principles
2. Apply color system from COLOR.md
3. Implement typography from TYPOGRAPHY.md
4. Add motion from MOTION.md
5. Apply shapes from SHAPES.md
6. Configure spacing from SPACING.md
7. Implement components from COMPONENTS.md
8. Migrate existing M3 from MIGRATION.md
9. Ensure accessibility with ACCESSIBILITY.md
10. Configure platform-specifics from PLATFORMS.md