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Software design for mobile products has changed a lot in recent times, first, the iconography was created as 3D renders of some elements, even shadows were used to make them visually pleasing, the reason was that we were used to working with similar elements on computers. Then, smartphones with touchscreens were all the rage, so these icons had to adopt different shapes, but still, skeuomorphic elements helped users to make the transition to these new interfaces. After users were already used to controlling their devices in this new way, it was time for designers to get rid of the unnecessary elements and choose a new style.
The Android operating system followed this trend, having a major visual overhaul with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and its neon elements and shades. With Android 5.0 Lollipop, Google introduced another major change in the design language that would be used across its entire product portfolio. It was called Material Design, and it consists on flat-looking elements that use subtle gradients and shadows to make it look as if those elements were on different layers one on top of the other.
One element that has always been present to make our mobile devices more personal is the wallpaper, we can choose from professionally taken photos to a photo taken on a special occasion or any of the digital creations that better suits our preference. Now that Android 6.0 Marshmallow has been announced and the third developer preview is being installed on some devices, we got to know the new approach that Google is taking with the included wallpapers. They seem to be all about textures, the digital ones look similar to the ones included in Lollipop, but the colors are bolder and all include textured surfaces in one of the layers.
Now, Abo Hani, CEO of the site Think Droid, has created some wallpapers inspired in the new aesthetic approach that was introduced with Android 6.0, which is more like an evolution of the guidelines of Material Design. He uses contrasting colors and textures to create a sense of depth and realism from the geometric figures included in every wallpaper. You can see the wallpapers in the gallery below and download them directly from his website under the Marshmallow Concept folder. They all have 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution, though, so they won’t be scrollable while navigating through the home screens.
