Create an Android Theming Kit: Open‑Source UI Components Inspired by Top Skins

Ship OEM-grade UX without the bloat: a 2026 playbook for an open‑source Android theming kit

Hook: You need the polished UX patterns users expect from modern Android skins (One UI, MIUI, OxygenOS, Pixel) but you can't ship an entire OEM overlay for third‑party apps. Build a modular, performant, open‑source Android theming kit that captures the best UX patterns while staying lightweight, developer‑friendly, and production‑ready.

Why this matters in 2026

By early 2026 the ecosystem expects apps to adapt: dynamic color is ubiquitous, high refresh displays are common, and OEM skins have converged on a few winning UX patterns (clean quick actions, one‑hand ergonomics, and consistent micro‑interactions). OEM rankings released and updated through late 2025 and early 2026 highlight the divergence in polish and features across skins — but the best patterns are reusable across apps. (See: industry ranking updates such as Android Authority's Jan 2026 update.)

What this article delivers

• A repeatable architecture for a modular Android theming kit
• Design token and component strategies that mirror OEM strengths
• Code and Gradle examples (Jetpack Compose) to stay lightweight
• CI/CD, publishing and governance guidance for open‑source distribution
• Performance, accessibility and maintainability checks for production use

Principles: capture UX, not the OEM shell

Good theming kits abstract patterns into stable building blocks. Start with these principles:

• Design tokens over hardcoded values: color, typography, spacing, radii, and motion durations must be tokens so apps can swap or override them easily.
• Modularity: small Gradle modules (core, components, utilities, optional OEM‑inspired feature modules) so apps include only what they need.
• Compose first: Jetpack Compose is the most efficient path for a lightweight UI kit in 2026; reuse Compose primitives to avoid view inflation overhead.
• Platform friendly: integrate with Material3/Monet dynamic color where available, but provide fallbacks for older devices and OEM quirks.
• Performance & size budget: aim for a max incremental APK/AAB size per module, enforce animation budgets and 16ms frame targets.

Step 1 — Audit OEM UX patterns and extract tokens

Practical approach to reverse‑engineer top skin patterns without copying proprietary assets:

1. Pick top UX areas to reuse: system quick actions, bottom sheets, one‑handed navigation affordances, notification group styles, and settings layout.
2. Document values: corner radii (e.g., 12dp vs 16dp), elevation/depth scales, motion curves (cubic bezier), and spacing scales. Store these in a spreadsheet and commit as design tokens (JSON/YAML).
3. Identify accessibility constraints: font scaling, contrast ratios, and touch target sizes (48dp minimum).
4. Prioritize three distilled themes inspired by OEM patterns: "Calm & Spacious" (One UI), "Dense & Feature‑Rich" (MIUI), and "Minimal & Motion‑First" (Pixel). Each theme maps to a token set.

Step 2 — Project layout & modular architecture

Example Gradle module layout (Kotlin + Compose):

settings.gradle.kts
include(
  ":theme-core",
  ":theme-components",
  ":theme-oem‑adapters",
  ":sample‑app"
)

Module responsibilities:

• theme-core: tokens, semantic colors, typography, shape system, dynamic color adapters.
• theme-components: Compose UI components (ThemedButton, QuickSettingsTile, OneHandTopBar) implemented against tokens.
• theme-oem‑adapters: optional small modules that emulate OEM interaction patterns (e.g., extended bottom sheet gestures) that apps can opt into.
• sample‑app: demonstration with toggles to switch token sets and dynamic color source.

Example module Gradle snippet for publishing

plugins {
  id("com.android.library")
  kotlin("android")
  id("maven-publish")
}

publishing {
  publications {
    create("release") {
      from(components["release"])
      groupId = "dev.yourorg.themekit"
      artifactId = "theme-core"
      version = "1.0.0"
    }
  }
}

Step 3 — Implement tokens and dynamic color

Store tokens in a JSON file and generate Kotlin objects at build time. This keeps runtime costs low and makes token updates trivial.

// tokens/default_tokens.json
{
  "color": {
    "primary": "#0057D9",
    "onPrimary": "#FFFFFF",
    "surface": "#F6F7FB"
  },
  "corner": {
    "small": 8,
    "medium": 12,
    "large": 16
  }
}

Use Compose's dynamic color when available and fallback to tokens otherwise:

@Composable
fun AppTheme(
  useDynamic: Boolean = true,
  content: @Composable () -> Unit
) {
  val colors = if (useDynamic && Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= 31) {
    dynamicLightColorScheme(LocalContext.current)
  } else {
    lightColorScheme(
      primary = Color(0xFF0057D9),
      onPrimary = Color.White,
      surface = Color(0xFFF6F7FB)
    )
  }

  MaterialTheme(
    colorScheme = colors,
    typography = AppTypography,
    shapes = AppShapes,
    content = content
  )
}

Step 4 — Component design: patterns, not clones

Design components as composable primitives with semantic props. Example: a flexible quick settings tile that supports OEM‑style toggles, badges, and gestures.

@Composable
fun QuickSettingsTile(
  icon: ImageVector,
  label: String,
  state: Boolean,
  onToggle: (Boolean) -> Unit,
  modifier: Modifier = Modifier
) {
  Surface(
    tonalElevation = if (state) 4.dp else 0.dp,
    shape = RoundedCornerShape(AppShapes.medium),
    modifier = modifier
      .clickable { onToggle(!state) }
      .padding(8.dp)
  ) {
    Column(horizontalAlignment = Alignment.CenterHorizontally) {
      Icon(icon, contentDescription = label)
      Spacer(Modifier.height(6.dp))
      Text(label, style = MaterialTheme.typography.bodySmall)
    }
  }
}

Key habits:

• Expose semantic props (importance, condensed) not pixel values.
• Make motion optional and configurable for accessibility (reduce motion setting).
• Keep drawables vector first; export a small PNG fallback set if necessary.

Step 5 — Performance & size optimization

Ship fast and small. Enforce a per module size budget (e.g., ≤ 150KB incremental for a core theme module). Practical checks:

• Avoid bitmap bloats: use VectorDrawable and Compose shapes. If you use Lottie, preload only small files and provide a static fallback.
• R8 & resource shrinking: enable minification and shrink resources in CI builds.
• Measure frame times: use Systrace, Android Studio CPU & GPU profilers, and automated frame metrics on Firebase Test Lab.
• StrictMode & trace sections: detect blocking IO in composables and launchers.

Step 6 — Accessibility, localization, and device form factors

OEM skins excel at accessibility tweaks and multi‑device ergonomics. Match that by default:

• Contrast & font scaling: test tokens against WCAG AA; support dynamic type and minimum touch sizes.
• One‑handed modes: provide a "compact" density token set for large devices and foldables.
• RTL & localization: components must mirror layout and support localized strings in sample app.

Step 7 — CI/CD, publishing and maintenance

Ship the kit like a product:

• CI: GitHub Actions matrix (Kotlin/Jdk/Compose), run unit tests, Detekt, ktlint, Android Lint, and instrumented tests on Firebase Test Lab.
• Security: enable Dependabot or Snyk, sign artifacts, and add a public CVE reporting process in SECURITY.md.
• Publishing: automate releases to Maven Central (OSS RH via GitHub Actions), tag with Semantic Versioning, and publish a lightweight KDoc site (GitHub Pages) for the API docs.
• Release checklist: changelog, migration notes, bundle size report, sample app screenshots, and migration guide for apps using legacy themes.

Example GitHub Actions snippet (publish to Maven Central)

name: Publish
on:
  push:
    tags:
      - 'v*.*.*'
jobs:
  publish:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - name: Setup JDK
        uses: actions/setup-java@v4
        with:
          distribution: temurin
          java-version: '17'
      - name: Publish to Maven Central
        run: ./gradlew publish
        env:
          OSSRH_USERNAME: ${{ secrets.OSSRH_USERNAME }}
          OSSRH_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.OSSRH_PASSWORD }}

Step 8 — Licensing, governance, and community

Make adoption frictionless. Recommended practices:

• License: choose Apache 2.0 for permissive use in commercial apps (and compatibility with Google Play requirements).
• Contributing: include CONTRIBUTING.md, a code of conduct, issue templates, and clear labels for beginner issues.
• Maintainer model: publish a roadmap, accept design token proposals, and schedule quarterly reviews aligning with major Android releases (Android 15/16 era cadence in 2024–2026).
• Security policy: add SECURITY.md and a triage process for dependencies and CVEs.

Advanced strategies & future‑proofing

Think beyond the initial kit:

• Composable tokens as data + codegen: allow designers to export tokens (Figma → JSON) and run codegen to produce updated Kotlin token classes.
• Plugable adapters: runtime adapters that map system wallpapers, OEM accent APIs and accessibility toggles into your semantic token model.
• Feature flags & experimental modules: canary new OEM‑inspired interactions as optional libraries, keeping core stable.
• Multi‑platform reach: consider Compose Multiplatform to share tokens with desktop/web ports where relevant.

Case study: porting One UI's "Calm Corners" to a kit

Actionable mini case:

1. Audit: One UI uses a 12dp corner radius across cards and 16dp for prominent surfaces. Motion uses 200ms elevation transitions.
2. Tokenize: create corner.medium=12, motion.elevationTransition=200.
3. Compose implementation: implement a CalmCard composable using RoundedCornerShape(corner.medium) and an animateDpAsState for elevation. Expose content slot only — no hardwired backgrounds or images.
4. Test: run layout inspector and ensure 60fps during interactors; measure on midrange devices and keep elevation animation under 8ms CPU cost.

Checklist before you publish

• Tokens in JSON + codegen working
• Compose components have semantic props and tests
• CI passing: lint, tests, size checks
• Signed artifacts and docs (KDoc + migration)
• Security contact and license (Apache 2.0)

Adoption guide for app teams

How app engineers should integrate the kit:

1. Add the module dependency (pick only core or core+components).
2. Replace your MaterialTheme with AppTheme (tokens override via DI or resource overlays).
3. Run the sample app in your CI to compare golden screenshots across popular device profiles and OEM skins (use screenshot tests).
4. Gradually replace visual primitives (buttons, cards) with kit components prioritized by user impact.

Monitoring & maintenance in production

Post‑release monitoring should track both performance and UX metrics:

• Frame rendering rates and ANR traces via Play Console / Firebase Performance Monitoring
• Crash insights (ProGuard mappings uploaded) and UX regression alerts (screenshot diffs)
• User feedback channels: theme switch usage, toggles for dynamic color, and telemetry opt‑in to measure component render times (respect privacy law and include clear opt‑in)

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

• Copying OEM assets: never include OEM proprietary assets or directly replicate brand identities. Recreate patterns as generic tokens and components.
• Feature creep: avoid adding too many OEM‑specific features into core; keep them optional adapters.
• Neglecting tests: visual regressions are the main risk — invest in screenshot testing and animation stability tests.

Where to host and how to promote

Recommended hosting & community strategy:

• Code & issues: GitHub for visibility and contributor lifecycle.
• Packages: Maven Central + GitHub Packages for convenience.
• Docs: GitHub Pages + a living guide (component usage, migration guide, token editor demo).
• Distribution: publish three artifacts: core, components, and oem‑adapters so teams can pick what they need.

Final takeaways — actionable checklist

• Audit 3 OEM skins and extract tokens (colors, radii, motion).
• Build a tiny theme-core with JSON tokens + codegen and a theme-components Compose library.
• Use dynamic color where possible, offer stable fallbacks otherwise.
• Enforce a size & performance budget per module and test on real devices & CI.
• Automate publishing and add clear governance, license (Apache 2.0), and security contacts.

"Capture the intent of an OEM pattern — ergonomics, motion, and token scales — without shipping the OEM shell."

Call to action

Ready to start? Fork a starter repo that implements the architecture above, or publish your first module with a minimal token set and sample app. Share your kit with the community, add a CONTRIBUTING guide, and open a roadmap issue titled "OEM Pattern Audit Q1 2026" to attract contributors. If you want, I can generate a starter repository scaffold (Gradle, codegen, sample app, CI) tailored to your target minSdk and token preferences — tell me your minSdk and preferred theme flavors and I'll output the repo blueprint.

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