Love Visual Studio? All we are saying…is give Blend a chance!

VisualStudioLogoMany of us work in Visual Studio every day, but have never taken the time to learn Blend. Adding Blend to your toolset will make you a more productive developer. so check out the MVA Blend Jump Start!

I have worked with Visual Studio for longer than I care to admit (do you remember when you could view the clipboard ring in a window?). I have worked in Blend a little bit here and there, but never had a chance to sit down and really figure out how it can help me with my coding. Mickey MacDonald tried it last year and in one day not only started learning Blend but built an entire game using just Blend! (read Mickey’s story)

So as you look at the long list of technologies you want to learn, if you are doing anything with XAML, I highly recommend bumping Blend to the top of your list. There is a really good Jump Start for Designing your XAML UI with Blend on Microsoft Virtual Academy presented by Jerry Nixon a Technical Evangelist and Unni Ravindranathan a Program Manager from Microsoft.

The jumpstart covers

  • XAML development in Visual Studio 2013 (there are some nice new features in 2013!)
  • XAML Design and Styling in Blend
  • How to build Windows Store Apps with Blend
  • a little Developer Candy :)
  • Some great suggested resources and next steps.

Don’t forget If you are a student you get Blend when you download Visual Studio 2013 from DreamSpark!

If you are in Canada, don’t forget that watching videos on Microsoft Virtual Academy could earn you rewards through Developer Movement!

Put aside some time, and learn how to make the most out of a tool you already have in your toolbox!