How do YOU do it?

The way i work. I prefer to start by the admin interface usualy it's the longest job and the hardest too. So my first step is to design the db end then i think about all that the customer told me he needed (i also try to think about things he forgot to tell me). in this case there is probably going to be a place where he can add homes or land then a place to edit those in case of a change/error.
Maybe there is also a place to keep track of customer etc...
i quickly build a menu with some froms (white background black font as boring as it can get). for now all the project is only those boring page i get those approved by customer (i tell him the design will be better then that eventually). When is playing around in it look at him look at what he is doing so that you can make an interface that is going to be instinctive for him. Now i know what i need the customer know what he is going to get. After that i make the navigation menu's and position them (no graphical element yet still in black and white with time news roman font) if there are div or rollover i make top level menu green onover blue well it's a color code i work out with my designer. once all navigation is at my satisfaction i send it to the designer for graphical interface.

in the mean time i build all db functionnality.

I wire frame it. Do all the HTML first, use php or javascript to faux drive it.

i.e. http://secrets.synapticimpulse.com/index.php?code=rcsubway

It helps work out the kinks pre-programming. I usually also make notes about the application while I'm making the functional parts.

i like finding out all the information the ... so far prof/friend.. wants in the database. figure out anything i see they are missing that is helpful. then i design the db.

now i have what i'll be calling, so like dru, i tend to focus on the admin interface. what will the persons who needs to be able to manipulate the information (or primary manipulators, since some sites users cna also manipulate) need. how is it set up. do they like that. once they like the positiong and such i add in any other interface that will directly effect db (any updates. if something merely pulls data via selects, i do them when the rest). after that is formulated into a "first draft" i get the rest working, then work on making it look as the person wants.

once you have it working, then any design changes and manipulation is simple. because you know you have the back end working properly

note: without sample data, you have nothing

hehe. i've always tossed in something that seems appropriate for an example and used that. so far i've been right.

"I don't do GUI."

That about sums it up. My brother got all of the artistical tallents and I was left without. Sure, I can hold a paintbrush or even a mouse. And I can sometimes even come up with an artistic thought. But getting that image out of my head and onto canvas/screen -- WOAH! That's another story.

I get "clients" to provide me with a design.

I draw crooked stick figures when no one's looking. shh!

For me, ideally, there are four stages in the development. They're really just four general sets of criteria that I try to meet, to one degree or another. I assume that we're discussing only GUI here. In order of importance:

1. Content. This is what I start off with. First, I organise and structure all the information I have. This involves everything from backend DB design, site structure, and raw media files to structural markup (part of the "wireframe" Suzanne mentioned).
2. Accessibility. This really follows on from the previous step. At this point, I only concern myself with ensuring that a variety of graphical and textual clients can access the content, as well as meeting standards and following accessibility recommendations where reasonable. I'm a little lax with this because my audiences generally need nothing more than to view content in Netscape, and control font sizes.
3. Usability. Here I make sure that the content as well as meta-content is not simply accessible, but is also arranged in a sensible fashion that is easy to use. To make an interface usable, I make considerations regarding readability, spacing, position, priorities, information flow, etc. In this phase, a rough content-centric skeleton design forms out of the previous wireframe.
4. Eye candy. This one should be obvious. Whilst not breaking any goals I've met in the previous steps, I let my artistic side (what there is of it) loose. I not only think about spacing to improve readability, but also spacing to create harmony in proportions, and so on. Colour schemes, themes, styles are built here -- visual appeal is created.

This is the natural routine I've fallen into after four years of experimenting with all kinds of approaches. The advantages, as I'm beginning to find, are manifold. Because I start off with the content, as long as I respect the structure I plan initially, everything ends up being built around just that information. Each step flows on smoothly from the previous, so it makes sense to go about them in order.

What if I don't go in order, though? I often get inspiration for some particular interface or whatever, and start off a project based on a visual template. This goes awry as I start stuffing content into small spaces or concocting fillers to suit the design, and the end result won't be as good as I would've hoped. In such a case, I'd be starting off backwards, visual design first, which is about as stupid as building a house starting with the roof. (That, imo, is one of the dangers of improper use of WYSIWYG. But that's another story.)

It helps to work with XHTML and CSS, because of the ability to create these "shells", one step up from the previous, with sensible markup, DIVs and stylesheets.

So that's how I do it. (Sorry if this post is incoherent. I composed in parts over the whole evening. )

Thanks everyone. You've given me a lot to think about.

I have to admit, my design background tends to make me start with the design and then move onto the actual functionality and backend stuff, but after reading what you've had to say I think I'm gonna try and do it the otherway round for a change.