[daragh]

Pen & paper for rapid prototyping, then start mocking up with actual code.

This isn't 1999, you'll save yourself a lot of trouble than messing around with Photoshop layers.

If you actually begin coding well from the ground up the application of design will be far more natural and agile than if you were trying to slice up a psd.

[bigtoga]

Spoken like a true programmer hehe :)

I have to disagree here as I think Photoshop for prototyping will save you days of time. Starting out coding is like saying, "I don't value the design; I want to skip that and just get the app ready." By doing it in Photoshop (or something similar) you can ignore the differences between browsers and ignore CSS, HTML, Javascript, etc and focus on the design. I've found that, if I use Photoshop, I'm able to complete the design and then focus on the code. Step 1: design. Step 2: code. If I try to start with the code, it's a back and forth, back and forth and the process takes me a lot longer and the design suffers greatly.

Photoshop is a design tool, not an HTML generator, in my opinion. You need an HTML editor to code it and it's probably best to code it by hand instead of using a generator. I use the Photoshop-generated HTML only as a last resort if I can't figure out how to hand-code it.

[DanielBMarkham]

Pen and paper? E-gads man!

Yes, of course wire-frame with _pencil_ and paper. I was specifically thinking of a tool that could show some design patterns -- typography, color schemes, use of white space, and then help put together a static page.

Just something as a calling card/vision tool, something to give an idea of what the user experience and benefits would be like with the completed product.

In a busy/crowded market, it seems to me that interface design is more important than ever.