Google is turning up the blur effects on Android 17, but how do you feel about this change? Let us know in our latest open thread.<\/b>
\n????\ufe0f This is an open thread.
We want to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments and vote in the poll below \u2014 your take might be featured in a future roundup.
This is a rather obvious statement, but you won\u2019t find every single person in a group of millions agreeing with a decision, and this makes designing something as integral as an operating system\u2019s UI rather tricky. Google has been pretty good at it in the past few decades \u2014 at least I haven\u2019t met anyone who outright hates the look and feel of Android.
We\u2019re currently in the Material 3 Expressive era, which sees the likes of Android 16 play with more colors and fluid animations while placing greater emphasis on personalization. I feel that it\u2019s Google\u2019s best work, and it looks splendid on modern Android phones. However, this is by no means the end of the road for the design langauge.
As the first images of Android 17 come trickling through, there\u2019s one additional design decision that Google is seemingly pushing hard this year: it\u2019s turning that blur dial all the way up. For some, this is brilliant news. Blur and transparency do look decidedly gorgeous on the right screen and with the right UI elements, but I\u2019m not entirely sure how necessary they are, at least for improving information delivery to the user.
I remember the first iteration of Material Design on Android 5.0 Lollipop rather fondly. Although I do enjoy the flourishes of modern Android, Lollipop introduced solid elements that were easy to see \u2014 much like ink on paper, albeit a digital version. It didn\u2019t sacrifice visuals for usability, something that I fear future Android versions are heading towards.
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This got me thinking \u2014 while my eyes adore Material 3 Expressive, I\u2019m not quite sure that it is the best Google design language thus far from a usability and accessibility standpoint. Sure, you can disable the blur, but how many novice users would know to do this?
So, I want to hear from you: what do you believe was the best era for Android design language in terms of user experience and usability? Which design language or Android version was your favorite in terms of aesthetics, and why? And what do you think of Google\u2019s move towards more blur and transparency in Android 17?
Here are some more questions:
What are your feelings about Android 17\u2019s design leaks thus far, specifically the additional use of blur?
Which Android design language era do you believe was the best, and why?
Do you think that Google is looking over at Apple\u2019s use of blur to inspire its own work? Is this a sensible move or a cop-out?
If you could make one significant UI change on Android 17, what would it be?
Are you convinced that Google is still focused on improving the user experience and reducing friction on Android, or has it become obsessed with aesthetics?
???? And if you have a specific comment related to your poll choice, or want to answer any of the questions posed above, be sure to have your say in the comments below.<\/p>\n