Tutorials for Designers and UI Developers: Project Rosetta

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Project Rosetta is a site designed to help designers and UI developers learn how to take existing skills and apply them in the context of a different technology. The site hosts tutorial series that start from common practical skills; each lesson illustrates how to apply those skills to create new user experiences in Silverlight with Expression Blend and related tools.

Through the Eyes of Blend

The first set of tutorials posted on the revitalized Project Rosetta site is called Through the Eyes of Blend. No code or prior knowledge of Silverlight is needed. You can learn about the features of the Silverlight platform just by drawing, resizing, and moving elements around the design surface of Expression Blend.

1. Drawing an emoticon in Expression Blend
   First steps in getting to know the tools and workspace in Blend
2. Element Transformations
   Learn to use Scale, Rotate, Skew and 2.5D Transformations
3. Get Started with Animation
   A Quick Overview on Creating Time-Based Animations
4. Playing Video with the MediaElement
   Using the flexible MediaElement control as a reusable Surface
5. Arranging Pictures to Learn Layout
   Use the Grid, StackPanel, ScrollableViewer and Border to position Images
6. A Look at Text in Silverlight
   Learn about Displaying Text, Font Properties and Embedding Fonts
7. Styling and Skinning Controls
   Customize the Look by Setting Properties and Building Templates
8. Styling and working with Design-Time Data
   Explore how Templates and Bindings are used to display dynamic data
9. Giving Behaviors a Test Drive
   A brief overview and walkthrough of the Behaviors included with Blend

Coming Soon

In addition to the Through the Eyes of Blend tutorial that was recently published, the Project Rosetta team has more on tap. New tutorials will include:

• Flash to Silverlight, for v.3
• Experimental Image Effects
• and more…

Have questions, comments, or suggestions? Stop by Adam Kinney's blog and let him know.