Google's Material Design - what does it mean for you as the user?

Anyone who has used Google Apps for any period of time knows that they are continuously updating features and functionality.  For some, these updates are welcome changes, while others prefer to stick with what they know.  Although it can be a bit frustrating to adapt to these constant updates, especially from a trainer's perspective, I must admit that I rarely regret the updates.

Recently, Google has introduced material design, an approach that is gradually transforming Google Apps so that they have a unified look, feel & function across all platforms/devices.  Be prepared to see some changes in your desktop apps (Drive is in transition now, but the New Drive will be pushed permanently soon so you may want to get used to it), and many Android apps are already updating (Gmail & Drive).