[TC]

I know we all have our own preferences over which software we use for building web pages but during the design stages which software do you use?

I use Photoshop since after the client approves the layout I can go back in and use its slice tools to extract the graphics I need for the site.

My major problem with Photoshop is that you cannot flow text. If you want to put an image in the middle of your text you have to break the text into three separate layers to flow it around the graphic.

What does everyone else use or is my workflow way off?

[philzilla]

FIreworks

[megasad]

Pen and paper.

[mdc]

photoshop and taco.

look what i did today. http://mike.cosentino.com

[::maroma::]

I use Illustrator to lay out how I want the pages to look. Then I either hand those files to the programmer, or I convert them into bitmap and then hand them off. Illustrator is much easier for me to design in than Photoshop.

[ckohler]

I design all my websites in Photoshop. Then I cut out what graphical pieces I need and code the rest in PICO. I've done it this way for over 6 years.

[BJPirt]

Illustrator

Definitely the best option for a few reasons;

1) everything remains seperate and editable (i.e. you can really easily shift things around and change their properties)

2) if you need to scale anything it's much easier and doesn't need recreating.

3) placed images can be scaled, masked, etc and don't get downsampled until you export.

4) you can chop up the page just like in fireworks with the slice tool

5) it will also export to swf and svg if either of those do it for you.

anyway, that's enough for now. one resounding vote for illustrator.

BJPirt

[Peter]

Originally posted by mdc:
photoshop and taco.

look what i did today. http://mike.cosentino.com

That is so cool! I like the background changing things, neat touch.

[chris v]

Complex stuff, I'll do in Photoshop, with seperate elements on seperate layers, then do layer-based slices, and drop it into GoLive as a Photoshop smart object. If I need to add any Javascript to anything, I'll convert the smart object to a table.

I keep a hi-res native PSD around in case I need to edit later.

Simple stuff, I'll create images in Photoshop and do a save for web, then lay out with tables in GoLive, adding text directly there. I'm learning CSS, but haven't gotten as far as image placement, yet. Mainly use it for font formatting, and background color. Having a site-wide external CSS makes life so easy.

Basically, I'm an Adobe stoolie.

CV

[mrl14]

I use photoshop to design my pages then I drop them into RageSoftwares Web Design. Great shareware app that beats pretty much ANY web design app.

Check it out at http://www.ragesw.com

[benb]

TextEdit. Then I preview in Camino. Then a little more TextEdit.

No program does good enough CSS rendering outside of Mozilla/KHTML/Opera for me to use them.

[walrusjb]

Pure Photoshop and Dreamweaver. Dreamweaver's actually a great tool for the design stages... as you can rip the image you're flowing text around, drop it into Dreamweaver and flow the text around it, capture it, and drop it back in - in the example you mentioned at least.

I tend to rely on it for form mockups, etc. mostly, but if in doubt, it's a real timesaver to mockup up the section you're thinking of in a literal environment - helps to point out any potential issues that might come up during development/deployment early on in the design process... before you get the client sold on something that's a pain in the @ss/unrealistic to deliver.

[Superchicken]

Fireworks all the way, my next mock up for my next revamp to clayshaker.com is at clayshaker.com/mbp/option2.gif
Check it out, it's easy since you can work with vectors but with how they'll show as pixels, you can change and edit effects and what not and not have to worry about much being permanent. The slice and exporting to html setup is awsome. I find if you understand what you can and can't do in html then fireworks is awsome to work with so long as you know what you can and can't do.

Then for the rest I use dreamweaver. Since I'm often working with php files and stuff that I didn't write, it's often helpful to use dreamweaver so I don't have to guess and think a ton to figure out what part of the code I'm at and where on the page that is and stuff.

For complex vector work I'll use FreeHand first, IE those toons on that graphic were done in freeHand first then brought into Fireworks, and of course occationally I throw in flash... but I hate working in flash takes to long and the results are often not as good as I'd like (IE you either have to use vectors or have huge files and cummy looking bitmaps.)

If they could combine Firework's stroke, fill and effects options to Flash Flash would be 100 times better... although a much bigger download of course...

[DeathMan]

I use photoshop, and sometime illustrator, but I've been finding illustrator a little to slow to do anything other than illustration. Get too many layers, photos, crap going on, and it just seems to lag.

My computers not the fastest in the word, but not the slowest, either (dual 500) and Photoshop is just nice and fast for me?

[MindFad]

Photoshop and Fireworks are a good combo for me

[Sage]

Like Superchic[k]en, I prefer the nice joint effort between Fireworks and Dreamweaver. Seriously, the work flow is great between those two apps.

[Sharky K.]

I use Photoshop often for idea's and layouts
Building websites I do with CSSEdit and the little HTML edit that has to be done with OmniWeb.

[spauldingg]

I use the combo of Photoshop and photowebber for general early stage design. Then tweak it in GoLive.

PhotoWebber can be pretty cool as long as you don't expect immaculate code. Really makes website design simple for Photoshop People� (you know who you are)

[entrox]

Emacs for writing + OmniWeb 4.5 for viewing.

[spauldingg]

I have not tried this yet, but did watch their movie. Looks very interesting...
freeware, to boot.


Denim

[dfiler]

<devil's advocate>

I second the motion for hand drawings. IMHO, too much time is often wasted on the minute details in preliminary designs. During the design phase, I find it best to concentrate on template layout and site architecture. High fidelity prototypes too early in the process will have people focussing on the wrong details. Example: People will dwell upon how a menu item is mis-aligned 7 pixels instead of on whether that item is properly labeled and conceptually grouped.

[nica]

For layout I also use pencil and paper.

To work on navegation, pages and general design
of the pages (1st level, 2l, 3l etc.)

After that I work on the graphics in Fireworks,
then Dreamweaver and fine tune it in Bbedit.

That's my regular work flow.


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nica