Should I invest time in learning Blend ?? Is it really worth for me ?

Question

Hello,

 I am a little bit confused and lost. I am a designer and coming from world of Flash and AS. I have just started learning Expression Blend and getting a strong feeling that prototyping in Blend requires a lot of programming proficiency. I am not familiar at all with C# or VB. My need is to develop high fidelity interactive prototypes of applications. So my question is should I continue to invest time in exploring Blend or go back to Flash and AS ?  I was impressed with some features in Blend, however unhappy  as in most cases coding is required.Also most solutions in forums are suggested using code. I personally found flash very easy to learn while I am struggling to understand Blend and coding in it. Adding to that I am also not getting proper resources to learn Blend in depth. What should I do ?? Please help !!

Thanks !

Answer 1

For Prototypes... Yes.  Most of the built-in Sketchflow controls require little to no coding.  It's only when you want to do something out of the ordinary that you'll get into coding and in that case the moderators and community are exceptional in helping you to realize your goal.

I had no clue what code was when I got my first copy of Expression a couple of years ago.  Everything I know today Chuck Hays and the community here have taught me.

If you have the time, I'd strongly recommend you start the first few courses in the .toolbox.   http://www.microsoft.com/design/toolbox/ 

That way you can get a feel and understanding of how Blend works and if it will help you in your work.

Welcome to Blend. :)

~Christine

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Answer 2

You can make great prototypes using Expression Blend without using any code at all. If you should ever need some code be sure, that someone has made it available already... just Google or Bing it, if you cannot find it in here.

If you are thinking about prototyping only, you don't have to be scared about learning everything in Expression Blend. You can take this free 1 ½ hour online course and should be up running:

http://www.microsoft.com/expression/resources/BlendTraining/Day.aspx?day=2

To master other aspects of Expression Blend you might consider looking at all 5 days of the course (and you will be doing well with Expression Blend). Also do look at the courses at .toolbox as Christina recommended.

People talk about Silverlight beeing a dead fish in the future, and that things will be built in HTML 5 + Javascript starting with the upcoming Windows 8. Where this leaves Silverlight, Expression Blend, LightSwitch and related MS Silverlight technologies (even Visual Studo) is not clear, but if your aim is prototyping only then - again - go for Blend.

Answer 3

You may consider this tool too:

Prototyper

http://www.justinmind.com/prototyper/free-edition

It's cool, it's free and it's so easy to use.

Answer 4

Thanks a lot for replying Christine. The toolbox looks like a good place to start.Thanks for providing the resource.           Simultaneously I am also learning C# now. Hope things will soon start making sense. :)

- Dhananjay  

Answer 5

Thanks a lot Bahia . Those are some very good tutorial videos resource to begin with. Shall help me a lot.  Also the prototyper seems easy and quick way to simulate iphone , android and web apps. It really seems now Blend is a tool worth learning to design high level prototypes of applications and i am going for it. Hope my investment pays off. :)

Answer 6

Hi -

I am a visio, adobe designer - Used HTML for interactive prototyping -

 There was a big need for interactive site mapping from my interviews - i never even knew about sketchflow -

Its the best - to keep track of your site maps. Blend itself - is a great tool for interactive training and prototypes =

I work with Business Analysts , QA and Dev team - and they are building what I have done, in Html from my work -

Its worth it, if your company needs to see the real deal, and the work flow -

Coding xaml  - is another animal - don't bother ------- just work the forefront and everything else will flow

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LB

Answer 7

Blend tool having multi purpose.

I assume it's mainly on

1.build animation(Story Board) in silverlight

2.create WPF/SL/WP XAML layout

If you want to create some animation silverlight/ some data-bound sliverlight application, my answer is yes after i try to use Adobe Edge in 7 days and used flash from flash 4 ,MX2004, flash 5 in long time ago.

To create a fancy animation, Expression Blend still beat Adobe Edge and comparable to Adobe Flash.

And you can write your familiar programming language to control everything just like flash action script.

In my optional, Action Script is quite messy on mid-large project and very hard to debug/maintenance.

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