Expression Studio: A Comprehensive Hands-On Introduction

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this course about? This course provides the knowledge and skills to create dynamic, next-generation applications using Expression Studio. Through hands-on exercises, you gain in-depth experience with the four primary tools that make up this product: Expression Web, Expression Blend, Expression Design and Expression Media; and learn to create high-quality, standards-based sites with sophisticated visual effects, as well as rich desktop user experiences. Who will benefit from this course? This course is beneficial for Web Designers, Web Developers, Interactive Designers, Interactive Developers and anyone involved in establishing, developing or maintaining a Web site or Blend-based desktop application. What background do I need? Web development skills at the level of Course 470, Developing a Web Site: Hands-On, or equivalent knowledge is assumed. I'm interested in doing ASP/.NET programming. Is this course for me? No, this course focuses on utilizing the UI design tools in Expression Studio rather than manual programming. What platform and software are used in this course? Windows XP, Expression Studio, Silverlight Plug-in, Internet Explorer and Firefox are used in the course. I've been using FrontPage. Can I still benefit from taking this course? Yes, if you are migrating to Microsoft Expression Studio, this course is appropriate for you. Knowledge of FrontPage will give you a head start in making the most of Expression Web, however, the other products in the suite will be completely new. Does this course require programming experience? No, this class does not require programming skills. How much time is spent on each topic? Content Hours Expression Studio overview 2.0 Creating a site with Expression Web 4.0 Constructing scalable site architecture 4.0 Enhancing graphics with Expression Design 4.0 Engaging users with Expression Blend 3.0 Moving interfaces to the next-generation 4.0 Taming graphic resources with Expression Media 2.0 Times, including the workshops, are estimates; exact times may vary according to the needs of each class. What kinds of hands-on exercises are included in this course? A substantial amount of time on the course is devoted to hands-on exercises, allowing you to develop your skills with Expression Studio. Exercises include: Building and applying site structure with Master pages Creating a new linked CSS from scratch Designing custom vector graphics Improving navigation with next-generation controls Applying sophisticated effects to text and graphics Importing, tagging and finding desired media assets Exporting user interfaces for cross browser use through Silverlight Do I need to be a graphic designer to take this course? No, you do not need to be a graphic designer to succeed in this course; however, graphic design experience is helpful for some of the topics covered. I've never developed a website. Is this a good course with which to start? No, this course assumes experience with Web development. Please see Course 470, Developing a Web Site: Hands-On, to fulfill the prerequisite. Does this course cover Silverlight (WPF-e)? Details of advanced development on Silverlight are not covered; however, some of the applications in this course can export for the Silverlight Plug-in, which is discussed in the course. How much class time is devoted to each of the Expression Studio products? One day is spent on Expression Design and Expression Media. Three days are spent on Expression Web and Expression Blend, with an equal amount of time devoted to each product. How does this course relate to other Learning Tree courses? Learning Tree offers a number of courses that will help you expand upon the knowledge gained in this course and further your skills in several key areas. Those courses include: 419, C# Programming: Hands-On  503, Visual Basic® 2008 Programming: Hands-On  512, Developing ASP.NET Web Applications: Hands-On  506, Programming Scalable Web Applications with .NET and ASP.NET AJAX: Hands-On  522, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) for Web Page Development: Hands-On  508, Building Web Services with .NET 2.0: Hands-On  296, Project Management: Skills for Success

Expression® Studio is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.