Google Workspace apps are getting a Material You makeover

by James · March 10, 2023

Following Google’s recent moves to simplify the user interface of its larger products, Workspace apps are getting a visual makeover to better align with things like Gmail, Search, and other Google services that have already undergone the Material You visual makeover. According to Google, this will not affect functionality or usability and is only to clean up the general UI and UX of the services.

As Google continues to connect users through Gmail between Docs and Drive and other apps, a consistent look and feel should be part of the process. Right now, switching from Gmail to Google Docs is a little annoying, and it shouldn’t be. Instead, Google wants to create a seamless visual transition from one service to another to match what they’re trying to achieve from a workflow perspective with Smart Canvas.

For now, I’m only seeing this visual change in Google Drive, but Google says it could take up to 15 days for the rollout to reach your account. Since this change will take effect on March 6th, we are sure to see most users using the updated interface by the end of March.

Cohesion is great for users

Ultimately, the goal of any user interface is to help users get to what they need in a more obvious way. As more Google products adopt Material You, it becomes easier to know where to look for different parts of the user experience across Google’s product line. As services like Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides become more complex, maintaining a clean, intuitive user interface has become more important than ever.

For example, when I visit Google Drive on the web, I now get an interface much closer to what I see in the Files app on my Chromebook. While it’s not a copy, the feel and function of the two are more aligned, and for someone like me who’s used to checking the Files app daily, I feel more at home opening Drive, and that’s a great thing. for the end user experience.

With these core apps now being updated to Google’s design language, we’re even more excited that ChromeOS is finally getting the Material You makeover, which takes us to a place where Google’s hardware and software products have a truly unique look and feel. Google. We’ve seen quite a few Google UI changes over the years, but looks like Material You is here to stay, and as the product portfolio begins to take full shape, things are looking very good indeed.