Check the version first. Read material3 in libs.versions.toml or build.gradle(.kts).
- 1.5.0-beta02 or newer: use the code in this skill as is.
- 1.4.x stable: only ShortNavigationBar and WideNavigationRail are public. The rest of Expressive (theme, motion scheme, emphasized type, new shapes) is internal or missing and will not compile. Ask before bumping to 1.5.0.
- A 1.5.0 alpha: API names and opt-ins moved between alphas. Suggest beta02.
- A Compose BOM alone: check which material3 it resolves to (./gradlew :app:dependencies). Pin material3 explicitly to get 1.5.0.
Don't add opt-ins you don't need. In beta02 almost all Expressive APIs are stable. Only LoadingIndicator, ContainedLoadingIndicator, LoadingIndicatorDefaults, MaterialShapes and its toShape() / toPath() helpers, and one DropdownMenuItem overload still need @OptIn(ExperimentalMaterial3ExpressiveApi::class). Full table: references/api-status.md.
Use MaterialExpressiveTheme, not MaterialTheme, at the root. Its defaults are expressiveLightColorScheme() and MotionScheme.expressive(). Pass your own scheme for dark mode and dynamic color. See references/theme.md.
Animate with the theme's springs. Use MaterialTheme.motionScheme.*Spec() instead of tween(300). Spatial specs (size, position, corners, morph progress) may bounce. Effects specs (color, alpha) never overshoot. See references/motion.md.
Prefer the Expressive component over the old one. See the mapping table below.
Don't use deprecated forms. ListItem(headlineContent = …), the old SearchBar/ DockedSearchBar, TopSearchBar and the non-state Slider overloads are deprecated in beta02. See references/api-status.md § Deprecated.
Stay inside the theme. Use colors from MaterialTheme.colorScheme, text styles from MaterialTheme.typography, shapes from MaterialTheme.shapes or MaterialShapes. No raw hex colors or hand-picked sp sizes in components.

Old component → Expressive component

Instead of	Use (1.5.0)	Notes
`Button(shape = …)`	`Button(shapes = ButtonDefaults.shapes())`	Corners morph on press. Sizes XS 32, S 40, M 56, L 96, XL 136dp
`SingleChoiceSegmentedButtonRow`	Connected `ToggleButton`s with `ButtonGroupDefaults.connected*ButtonShapes()`	Segmented buttons still work; this is the Expressive look
Row of buttons	`ButtonGroup { clickableItem(…) }`	Neighbours react to press; overflow menu built in
Button + dropdown arrow	`SplitButtonLayout` + `SplitButtonDefaults.LeadingButton/TrailingButton`
Speed-dial FAB	`FloatingActionButtonMenu` + `ToggleFloatingActionButton`	2 to 6 items
`SmallFloatingActionButton`	`FloatingActionButton` 56dp, `MediumFloatingActionButton` 80dp, `LargeFloatingActionButton` 96dp
`BottomAppBar`	`HorizontalFloatingToolbar` (+ FAB) or `FlexibleBottomAppBar`	Floating toolbar hides on scroll
`MediumTopAppBar` / `LargeTopAppBar`	`MediumFlexibleTopAppBar` / `LargeFlexibleTopAppBar`	Adds `subtitle` and `titleHorizontalAlignment`
`NavigationBar`	`ShortNavigationBar`	64dp
`NavigationRail`, `ModalNavigationDrawer`	`WideNavigationRail`	Collapses and expands in place
Grouped `ListItem`s in a `Card`	`SegmentedListItem` + `ListItemDefaults.segmentedShapes(index, count)`	Settings screens
`CircularProgressIndicator()` (indeterminate)	`LoadingIndicator()` (opt-in) or `CircularWavyProgressIndicator()`
`LinearProgressIndicator(progress)`	`LinearWavyProgressIndicator(progress)`	Long, visible progress
`SearchBar(query, onQueryChange, …)`	`SearchBar(state, inputField)` + `ExpandedFullScreenSearchBar` / `AppBarWithSearch`	Old overload deprecated

Workflow

Building a screen or component

Check the material3 version (rule 1). If it is below 1.5.0, say so before writing code.
Make sure the app root uses MaterialExpressiveTheme (references/theme.md).
Open references/components.md, find the component, and start from its snippet.
Use theme springs for any custom animation (references/motion.md).
Add one or two expressive moments per screen (a shape morph, an emphasized headline, a bouncy selection). Don't make everything expressive, or nothing stands out.
Check light, dark and dynamic color, and font scale 200%.

Reviewing or migrating a screen: follow references/audit.md.

Design guidance, in short

Full version, with Google's seven tactics, hero moments and patterns from Google's own examples: references/expressive-design.md. Read it before any "make this expressive" request.

One or two hero moments per product, not per screen.
Selection changes shape as well as color: unselected = tonal rounded square, selected = primary pill. Morph, don't swap: FAB ↔ close button, toolbar ↔ its primary action.
Expressive means guiding attention. Make the one primary action bigger, rounder or more colorful than the rest. If every element is emphasized, none is.
Shape: mix round and square to create contrast. Abstract MaterialShapes (cookie, clover, burst…) go on images, avatars, icons and decoration, never on containers that hold body text. Nested corners: inner radius = outer radius − padding.
Color: primary for the most important element, secondary/tertiary containers for supporting accents, surfaceContainer* tones for hierarchy. Text on a container uses the matching on* role.
Type: emphasized styles (titleLargeEmphasized etc.) are the same size as the baseline styles, just heavier. Use them for selected states, key numbers and headlines, alongside the baseline styles, not instead of them.
Motion: expressive springs for hero moments and key interactions. Use MotionScheme.standard() only for utilitarian apps.
Accessibility: keep 48dp touch targets, add contentDescription to icon-only buttons and a tooltip to icon-only FABs, set stateDescription on toggles, split buttons and FAB menus, and don't rely on a bounce or color change alone to show state.

Where to look

Need	File
Making a screen expressive: tactics, hero moments, Google's patterns, variable-font emphasis	`references/expressive-design.md`
Is this API stable, opt-in or missing in my version? What is deprecated?	`references/api-status.md`
Gradle setup, `MaterialExpressiveTheme`, dynamic color, emphasized type, shape scale	`references/theme.md`
`MotionScheme`, spring values, spatial vs effects, custom animations	`references/motion.md`
The 35 `MaterialShapes`, clipping, shape morphing	`references/shapes.md`
Code for every Expressive component	`references/components.md`
Reviewing or migrating an existing screen	`references/audit.md`

Official sources: Compose Material 3 release notes, API reference, m3.material.io.

m3-expressive-compose

Material 3 Expressive for Jetpack Compose

Rules that matter most