I have been invited to the official Montreal launch of Microsoft Expression next wednesday at the Ex-centris.

I wasn’t aware of that new incursion of Microsoft in the creative field. Here’s the pitch:

Better Designer Tools for Better End-User Experiences.
Microsoft® Expression® Studio takes your creative possibilities to a new level. The professional design tools and innovative technologies in Expression Studio give you the flexibility and freedom to bring your vision to reality—whether you are designing standards-based Web sites, rich user experiences on the desktop, or managing digital assets and content.

Wow, and it looks like this:

What can I add to this ? See more screenshots and features lists to make your own opinion there.

For what I’ve seen, while creating a buzz with breathtaking concepts like Surface and Photosynth, Microsoft is still boring us to tears by releasing me-too products that nobody expects nor actually need. They even naively painted their UI in dark shades of black to fit with the wishfull and over-used “professionnal” adjective.

I will attend the event, see by myself and let you know.