incredibly important part of today's software, but for every experienced UI, usability and human-computer interface professional there are legions of beginning Windows GUI developers (VB developers, Coders working with MS Office etc). Unfortuantly they are often left alone to struggle through the basic do's and don'ts of building an acceptable and consistent, both with other applications and the OS itself, GUI.
point for those very legions and a pretty good accompaniment for the first book. The book itself can logically be separated into three sections; the chapters on Windows applications (thick client), the web chapters and the Longhorn / Avalon Appendix.
of the three. It's here that the authors experience driven (and common sense filled) guidelines can be seen most clearly. While there are very few light bulb activating moments the coverage of the different controls is comprehensive and the advice will help the reader shortcut a lot of the more common mistakes.
chapters on web GUIs. The first of these opens up with a basic introduction to HTML, which felt very out of place to me after reading the previous section. The writing changed in tone and it didn't seem to contain the same number of useful tidbits as the first eleven chapters.
the how's of web GUIs and less on the why's and best practises. The single Appendix also felt a little out of place but did seem to fit better than the web coverage. It provides an early look at Avalon and Aero but, like most Longhorn literature, it failed to excite me. Although that may be more the fault of the MS hype machine than the author.
a year's worth of practical experience will gain the most from reading Developer to Designer; it'll save them a lot of trial and error. However I wouldn't expect most people to read it from front to back as the topic itself is quite a dry one. If, however, you're inexperienced when it comes to Windows GUIs then it makes a great reference you'll find yourself frequently dipping into.
Developer, although when you consider the number of people designing small Access based or VB applications it might not be much smaller, it will serve as a very handy reference for the GUI building beginner.
Visual Studio. If you're new to Windows GUIs then the first section of the book alone is worth the cover price; despite the weaker web section.