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Zac Zuo

Glimmer - Google’s new design language for AI glasses

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Flowtica Scribe
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A design system built from scratch for transparent displays. It redefines UI physics and prioritizes glanceability, arm's-length focus, and ambient motion. Includes Jetpack Compose Glimmer and a Figma kit.

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Zac Zuo
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Hi everyone!

This is not Liquid Glass. It isn’t a mobile UX ported to your face.

Glimmer is Google's attempt to define the OS for the next primary interface: AI glasses.

It acknowledges that transparent screens are fundamentally different physics environments. @david_allin_reese1 shares some fascinating insights on this:

  • Black is not a color, it's a void. On additive displays, black means 100% transparency.

  • The "Arm's Length" Rule. The UI isn't on the lens, it's projected ~1 meter away. Focusing on it is an active physical choice, not a passive glance.

  • Text is measured in degrees, not pixels. Because distance varies, legibility is about visual angle (>0.6 degrees).

  • And a lot more.

If you want to start building for this future, the Figma Design Kit is ready for you to use.

Go Sakioka

UI physics for transparent displays" — didn't know I needed this concept until now. Google releasing this as a free design system is going to accelerate the AR/glasses ecosystem fast.