Design Beautiful Cards with Material 3 in Jetpack Compose

Jetpack Compose is revolutionizing Android development with its declarative approach to UI design. With the advent of Material 3 (also known as Material You), Compose developers now have even more powerful tools to create stunning and personalized user interfaces. Among these tools, cards stand out as a versatile and widely used component for displaying content in an organized, visually appealing manner. In this blog post, we’ll dive deep into designing beautiful cards using Material 3 in Jetpack Compose, covering everything from basic implementation to advanced customization techniques.

What Are Material 3 Cards?

Material 3 cards are rectangular surfaces used to group related information. They’re an essential UI component that helps structure content while maintaining visual hierarchy. Material 3 introduces updated design guidelines that emphasize:

  • Dynamic Color: Personalization based on the user’s chosen theme.

  • Elevations: Visual depth and separation through shadows and tonal colors.

  • Typography and Iconography: Consistent and adaptive text and icon sizes.

In Jetpack Compose, Material 3 cards are implemented using the Card composable, enhanced with Material 3’s theming capabilities.

Setting Up Your Project for Material 3

Before we jump into code, ensure your project is configured for Material 3. Add the required dependencies to your build.gradle file:

dependencies {
    implementation "androidx.compose.material3:material3:1.1.0"
    implementation "androidx.compose.ui:ui-tooling:1.4.0"
    implementation "androidx.compose.ui:ui:1.4.0"
}

Additionally, enable Compose in your project-level build.gradle file:

buildFeatures {
    compose true
}
composeOptions {
    kotlinCompilerExtensionVersion '1.4.0'
}

With these dependencies in place, you’re ready to leverage Material 3 features.

Creating a Basic Material 3 Card

To create a simple card, use the Card composable. Here’s an example:

@Composable
fun BasicCard() {
    Card(
        modifier = Modifier
            .padding(16.dp)
            .fillMaxWidth(),
        colors = CardDefaults.cardColors(containerColor = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.surface),
        elevation = CardDefaults.cardElevation(defaultElevation = 4.dp)
    ) {
        Column(
            modifier = Modifier.padding(16.dp)
        ) {
            Text(
                text = "Hello, Material 3!",
                style = MaterialTheme.typography.titleMedium
            )
            Text(
                text = "This is a simple card.",
                style = MaterialTheme.typography.bodyMedium
            )
        }
    }
}

Key Points:

  • Modifier: Controls layout and styling, such as padding and size.

  • CardDefaults.cardColors: Applies dynamic colors aligned with Material 3.

  • CardDefaults.cardElevation: Manages the shadow effect for depth.

Run this code to see a clean, functional card styled with Material 3 guidelines.

Advanced Customizations

Material 3 cards are highly customizable, enabling you to create unique designs that align with your app’s branding. Let’s explore some advanced use cases.

Adding Images to Cards

Cards often include images to enhance visual appeal. Use the AsyncImage composable from Coil to load images dynamically:

@Composable
fun ImageCard() {
    Card(
        modifier = Modifier
            .padding(16.dp)
            .fillMaxWidth(),
        shape = RoundedCornerShape(12.dp),
        colors = CardDefaults.cardColors(containerColor = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.surface)
    ) {
        Column {
            AsyncImage(
                model = "https://example.com/image.jpg",
                contentDescription = "Card Image",
                modifier = Modifier
                    .fillMaxWidth()
                    .height(180.dp),
                contentScale = ContentScale.Crop
            )
            Text(
                text = "Card with Image",
                modifier = Modifier.padding(16.dp),
                style = MaterialTheme.typography.titleMedium
            )
        }
    }
}

Custom Shapes

Material 3 allows you to define custom shapes for your cards. Use the shape parameter to apply RoundedCornerShape or custom shapes:

@Composable
fun CustomShapeCard() {
    Card(
        modifier = Modifier
            .padding(16.dp)
            .fillMaxWidth(),
        shape = RoundedCornerShape(topStart = 16.dp, bottomEnd = 16.dp),
        colors = CardDefaults.cardColors(containerColor = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.primary)
    ) {
        Text(
            text = "Custom Shape Card",
            modifier = Modifier.padding(16.dp),
            style = MaterialTheme.typography.titleMedium,
            color = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.onPrimary
        )
    }
}

Interactivity

Enhance your cards by adding click interactions. Use the onClick parameter to make your card interactive:

@Composable
fun ClickableCard(onCardClick: () -> Unit) {
    Card(
        modifier = Modifier
            .padding(16.dp)
            .fillMaxWidth()
            .clickable { onCardClick() },
        colors = CardDefaults.cardColors(containerColor = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.surface)
    ) {
        Text(
            text = "Clickable Card",
            modifier = Modifier.padding(16.dp),
            style = MaterialTheme.typography.titleMedium
        )
    }
}

Best Practices for Material 3 Cards

To ensure your cards are visually appealing and functional, follow these best practices:

  1. Use Dynamic Colors: Leverage Material 3’s dynamic theming to align cards with the user’s chosen color palette.

  2. Keep Content Concise: Avoid overloading cards with too much information.

  3. Implement Accessibility: Add content descriptions for images and ensure text contrast is sufficient.

  4. Optimize Performance: Use efficient composables and avoid heavy recompositions.

  5. Test Across Themes: Validate designs under light, dark, and dynamic color themes to ensure consistency.

Conclusion

Material 3 in Jetpack Compose empowers Android developers to design visually appealing, functional, and adaptive user interfaces. By mastering cards and their customizations, you can create compelling UI elements that enhance user engagement and improve app aesthetics.

Start experimenting with Material 3 cards today and unlock the full potential of Jetpack Compose in your projects. Whether you’re building a simple app or a complex UI, Material 3’s powerful tools will help you create stunning, modern designs with ease.

Happy coding!