VSLive Redmond - Metro Mania!

I hope everyone is having a great and productive Friday! We are for sure into the swing of summer, with a lot of the U.S. having been baked as of this year. Well to help you stay cool and focused, I suggest attending VSLive Redmond and the sessions that I've dubbed Metro Mania!



I wanted to point out a few sessions from the conference that I think are well worth attending, and wish I could be there myself to learn as well!

Windows 8/WinRT track
The new version of Microsoft’s flagship product brings the Metro user interface and Live Tiles to tablet/slate devices, laptops and even desktop PCs. Apps for Windows 8 can be written with HTML and JavaScript, or XAML and C#/VB .NET, among other options. Visual Studio Live! Redmond will prepare you to build Windows 8 Metro-style apps, and understand the finer points of WinRT that will make them great. This track includes coverage of the following:
• Metro-style apps for Silverlight Developers
• Windows 8 Metro-style enterprise apps
• WinRT for Web developers


Find out more about what you’ll learn during these sessions: http://bit.ly/VSRDWIN

Workshop: XAML UX Design
During this full-day post-conference workshop, Billy Hollis will show you fundamental design principles rooted in the human brain, new ways of storyboarding and prototyping user interfaces, and ways to combine left-brained analytical power with right-brained intuition and design. You’ll see examples of next generation applications, and do interactive exercises to start down the path of creating such applications yourselves.

Find out more about this workshop: http://bit.ly/XAMLUX

If you’re planning to attend Visual Studio Live! Redmond, you can save $400 off the Best Value Package rate! Register today with the code VSLRTU for your discount.

PLUS, Visual Studio Live is running a giveaway now through July 27th to win a conference proceedings workbook from the Redmond event! Find out how to enter here.

Well that's all for this post, I hope that everyone has a great weekend! Check back soon as a whole lot more to come. Till Next Time!

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VSLive - New York & Focus on Metro UX

I wanted to bring together in today's post some great cross conference, and cross technology information - that of course applies directly to Microsoft Dynamics AX! To help set the stage, lets reference back to my coverage and promotion of the VSLive Event in Las Vegas.



Based on the feedback from that event in Vegas, there was some really great sessions that apply directly to Microsoft Dynamics AX. Specifically what I was most interested in, and what Kees Hertogh - Director of Product Development for Microsoft Dynamics AX, recently wrote about: Metro UX and it's impact on the future client of Microsoft Dynamics.


Image Provided By Microsoft

The above image, comes from a recent article that Kees wrote, talking about the efforts the product team is making, in the embrace of Windows 8 OS and the Metro UX. I first starting writing about this in Jan., and had an article that was picked myself by ZDNet here.: Microsoft Dynamics AX - The future Client Win8 / HTML5.



Kees' recent article, points and shows off this in action.: Introducing modern business application with Metro style design. In this article, Kees shows off the investments being made by the product team for making use of the Metro UX. Further, he goes on to ask for input and feedback. What does the community think of this effort, being put forth by the product team? This is where we cross now, into the VSLive conference, and specifically to Brian Randell's session "Building Metro Style Apps - Getting the UX Right.



With this focus, I virtually sat down with Brian and asked him a few questions. These were in reference to the article posted by Kees, as well as his own session and focus around the Metro UX design. The following is the result of that interview.:

1.Brian, if you don't mind can you speak a bit to the type of audience and people that you will be targeting with you session "Building Metro Style Apps Getting the UX Right" and some high-value take away's from someone attending?

"The primary target is developers. From there, it’s really any team member who’s concerned with user experience."

2. With the focus on getting the UX right for Metro Style App design, can you comment on the recent story, from Microsoft's Own Kees Hertogh, Director of Product Development for Microsoft Dynamics AX?

"I think the article provides a great concept that Metro style apps are not just for consumers. You can build great LOB Metro style apps that both consume and create/modify data. If you look at the first screen shot in the article, you’ll see a very “digital dashboard” type UX (to dig up an old term from the late 90’) rich information display in a heads up format. Beyond you still can create an immersive experience that lets you create and change data."

3. With the push of Enterprise Apps to the Metro Style design, can you give a few value points as to what metro brings, for people who are use to traditional style Windows UX, that might not be so obvious but for sure add value and increase productivity?

"A key point is having applications laser focused on the user and the data that’s being presented; remove the chrome and have data center stage. With “big data”, we need to have better ways of visualizing data and Metro is a ripe design language to use for that."

4. In talking in terms of app design, in general, can you speak to some of the things you like best about the Metro UI design approach, compared to traditional Windows UX design?

"I think number one is that I get a clean slate. I’m not beholding to a lot of the traditional UI conventions. I own the screen. I can create an experience the draws my user in and lets them get to the point. One type of application that’s shown popularity in the mobile device space are “data snacking” applications. These applications provide a rich view on a narrow band of data. To something simple but do it very well. I like the built-in metro templates that make it easy to create tiles of information. I can use the tile to summarize and then provide a great drill down to more detailed data. I can do all of this with a touch and a swipe. The templates provide structure for the design challenged. Then once you understand the basic structure, you can dig into layout and color theory, so you can go beyond. The key is that there’s a nice baseline. It does mean that folks need to work with a designer and push the limits however."

I would like to take the time to thank Brian for his feedback on the VSLive session, as well as great information around the Metro UX design - and specifically being able to tie this back directly to Microsoft Dynamics AX. I think a critical point here that Brian makes, and that it seems the AX product team is getting right from the start, is a focus on "have data center stage". This is critical for the success of Metro style apps, and specifically applies without a doubt to Microsoft Dynamics AX. Register for Visual Studio Live in New York and save $300 off the standard Best Value Package rate when you use code VSNYTU: http://bit.ly/VSNYiDB

Well that's all for this post, I hope everyone has a great Dynamics day! Make sure to sign up for VSLive event, if you can, and check back soon as more to come. Till Next time!
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VSLive - Las Vegas Baby!

Well I hope everyone has had a very productive week, and is ready for a nice weekend. Keep in mind we Spring Forward this weekend. Personally I love it, because it means more hours of Sun, and might be able to actually enjoy the outdoors a bit.

To help wrap up this week, I wanted to post about a series of events that is going on, specifically related to Microsoft Visual Studio and .Net technologies. As you can see from the above graphic, I'm speaking about the Visual Studio Live! Conferences that are held. This year, there are four such events, with some really great tracks. The first event, is being held in Las Vegas Baby!



You can click on the above graphic, and sign up, the event is coming up soon but really has some awesome tracks, and exposure to things like.: Cloud Computing, Windows Phone App Development and Windows8/WinRT tracks.



Such events, are more than ever, very helpful in getting the most value out of your Microsoft Dynamics AX investment. More and more solutions, or total solutions for customers, embrace and make use, including extending value, with the technologies, tools and software that are covered at VSLive events. As Microsoft continues to invest with Microsoft Dynamics AX, via the rest of the product stack, the value of such conferences will only increase as time goes on.

If your interested in the full details, and all the tracks, I would suggest taking a look a the eBrochure.



There are already some great post in the Microsoft Dynamics Community that showcase the use of such technologies, like extending AX via a Windows Phone Solution. As well as, showcasing the value of Visual Studio LightSwitch for Dynamics AX.



Finally, we are all aware now, per Microsoft, that the future client for Dynamics AX will have a heavy focus around Windows 8/WinRT and HTML5 focuses, as highlighted here.: Microsoft Dynamics AX - The future Client Win8 / HTML5.

With all of this in mind, going back to my statement earlier, such conference with a wealth of tracks, speakers and knowledge, can add great understanding of the products, how they are used in solutions throughout the world, and how those concepts can then be applied to a total solution for a customers Microsoft Dynamics AX investment.

With that said, for all my readers, I have a promo code that has been giving to me, to share with you all, which is: VSLVTU. That promo code is for savings of $400 off the standard Best Value Package Rate!

That's all the time I have today, but I recommend you check out this event, and if the upcoming Las Vegas event just is not in the "cards" for you, don't worry, there are three other events going on this year, which I will blog about. Make sure to check back soon, and check back often as a whole lot more Dynamics Community coverage is well under way. Till Next Time!


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"Visit the Dynamics AX Community Page today!"