Design firm codeveloped the Yahoo Messenger instant messaging application using Expression Blend.

"The benefit is definitely that the assets that the designers are creating can actually be used in the real application," said Lee Brimelow, senior design technologist at frog design. "In the old days, developers would have to re-create what the designers did from their mockups."

While the workflow between the designer and developer roles is not perfect, it still is superior to what has been possible previously, according to Brimelow.

Microsoft's visual bent extends beyond Expression. Windows Vista OS preparations, for example, featured a large design team that included graphic designers and consulted with cognitive psychologists.

Vista takes advantage of graphics hardware acceleration and leverages application switching. Three-dimensional capabilities from WPF, for building rich client interfaces, are leveraged on the desktop.