UI's and a New Way of Thinking

The Advent of the .NET Framework gave all us the ability to create windows that are not rectangular. Your app can exist with in an octagon or a circle or any shape you can dream up. Not only can you do this but, .NET made it easy. But, the shape of a window is just the beginning.

It is clear that UI designers are being given the tools necessary to take the user experience to a new level and that requires new skill sets and new ways of thinking about how information is preseneted. Take a look at Macromedia's Flash 8 it has full support for video and audio. Now with Flash you can present a true multimedia experience. Video can be used just like any other piece of a Flash movie. It can be animated, it can be a button, etc.

Well, that's Flash and Flash is...well...Flash and thats what Flash does and does well. But then their the Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) which will give us a XAML based UI designer. It will be capable of doing the same thing as Flash in terms of presentation - a full multimedia experience. What's possible? Take a look at Expression Studio coming from MIcrosoft. This is the future of Windows development and if you want to be player in thier arena  you had better sit up and take notice. Just as the web  brought with it a need to learn new skills like Photoshop, the advent of the WPF will increase your need to under stand video editing and sound design.

It's coming soon. Adapt or die.