How Google Taught Itself Good Design

A really good lunch read: Link

"Google had a reputation for being broken when it came to design," Duarte says. "That was just the conventional wisdom."

"They talked about the impact that design had on the user, and it became clear to me--in a way that had never been clear before--that they actually cared," Duarte says. "Google just didn't know how to make design a priority."

"With the rise of sleek, portable touch-screen computers--i.e., the rise of Apple--people were now interacting with software in the same hands-on way they do with cars, clothes, appliances, and other physical goods."

""A lot of people felt that Android (pre-4.0) was essential to their lives, but they didn't like Android," Duarte says. The robust abilities of the OS "made them feel small. It wasn't empowering, but daunting." The same could be said for other Google products. When you loaded up something made by Google, you were more likely to feel overwhelmed than welcomed."

"Where only a few years ago you would have struggled to see any pattern in Google's designs, now these four elements serve as the firm's signature. When you spot them, you know you're in a Google app."

"In all of these efforts, Google's aesthetic aim is clear: to disappear. The most beautiful Google experience is the one you never notice."