| How I do it: 0) Start with the content. Always design around the content and the target audience in mind 1) Starting on pen and paper, I sketch 5-10 layouts in a short amount if time then I try to evaluate them based on gut feelings. This is also a good time to experiment with alternatives, new ideas. Google "webdesign patterns" if you need solutions for a given problem 2) Sketch a black and white HTML+CSS version then try to add the appropriate paddings and margins. 3) I look for inspirations in web design galleries, pinterest, dribble, whatever I can find. 4) Pick a good font for display + text, good typography is key 5) Try to make something that approaches the websites you like, grab a color palette from http://coolors.co, images from https://unsplash.com 6) Iterate This list is incredibly leaky, but more or less this is the process if I have to design something from scratch. |
This is really the secret. Pencil, pen, whiteboard, crayon, whatever. Anything that lets you rattle off half a dozen super low detail sketches in under a minute will work. It doesn't need to be pretty either. Just as long as it's enough to give you a feel for interacting with the page as a whole.
Once you have a good solid idea for how you ultimately want it to come together then you can move to a computer to drill down into the individual details, but for getting from zero to concept there's no substitute for analog tools.