Style guidelines

  • Glass utilizes Roboto fonts for system text, but developers have flexibility with typography in their own applications.

  • When writing content for Glass, prioritize brevity, clarity, and a conversational tone, using simple language and avoiding jargon.

  • Content should be front-loaded with the most important information within the first few words for quick comprehension.

  • Backgrounds are transparent by default for power efficiency, but developers can explore Material Design guidelines for color options.

Glass has a unique style, so we suggest that you follow the guidelines provided in these guides whenever possible:

Typography

Glass displays all system text in Roboto Light, Roboto Regular, or Roboto Thin, determined by font size. If you create live cards or immersions, feel free to use the same or different typography to convey your own branding.

Writing

You have limited space for text, so follow these guidelines when you write text for applications.

Keep it brief.

Be concise, simple and precise. Look for alternatives to long text, such as:

  • Read the content aloud.
  • Show images or video.
  • Remove unnecessary features.

Keep it simple

Pretend you're speaking to someone who's smart and competent, but doesn't know technical jargon and might not speak English very well. Use short words, active verbs, and common nouns.

Be friendly

Use contractions. Use second person, "you," to talk directly to the reader. If your text doesn't read the way you'd say it in casual conversation, it's probably not the way you should write it.

Put the most important thing first

The first two words, around 11 characters, should include a taste of the most important information in the string. If they don't, start over. Describe only what's necessary. Don't try to explain subtle differences.

Avoid repetition

If a significant term gets repeated within a screen or block of text, find a way to use it just once.

Backgrounds

The default background on Glass is black which is rendered as transparent. This way, the background consumes less power, which can help increase battery life.

If you want to experiment with background colors, we suggest that you explore the Material Design guidelines for colors and backgrounds.