What material is the internet made of exactly? How should web pages respond to a user’s click, swipe or tap? How do components on web pages respond to each other? These are the questions that the UI/UX designers at Google seek to answer with their design language called Material Design. Originating in 2014 as “Quantum Paper,” Material Design encompasses a new design philosophy centered around the web being tactile, intuitive and consistent.

Material Design was initially titled “Quantum Paper” as designers at Google used surfaces to “reimagine the mediums of paper and ink”(2). Designers looked at how one could interact with paper, and bring that simplicity to the web. As they were designing graphics, they took into large consideration things such as lighting and shadow, interaction, and aesthetic clarity.