Book excerpt: In a new approach, this is a closely focused work that gives you the insight of experienced developers about a single aspect of .NET programming. You will find all the ingredients you can use to design state-of-the-art application interfaces. You will also delve into entirely new topics like custom control design and GDI+, the next-generation painting framework for Windows. The author goes beyond the basics and combines user interface design principles with practical guidelines for creating the next generation of software applications. The author covers three areas: 1) an overview of how to design elegant user interfaces the average user can understand; 2) a comprehensive examination of the user interface controls and classes in .NET. and 3) A tutorial with best practices and design tips for coding user interfaces and integrating help.