How do you Design and Develop?

Question

How do you Design and Develop?
I know this varies based on alot of things such as knowledge, preference, purpose, resources, etc..but I am curious how different (level of expertise) designers actually prefer or implement their websites. I decided to do this post after two different forums discussions regarding 1.Templates and PHP and 2. Backend Development.
1. How do you generally approach a project?--Wireframe, Freehand (as it comes), PSD template, etc.--Do you have a specific 'methodology' or procedure?
2. What are 2-3 of your main resources / sites / applications etc that you use (and for what?)
Specifically: What do you use (and how) to get up a website? (I know again this depends on a variety of things, but in general..) *also if you would like to comment on your expertise or level maybe helpful.
Do you prefer (Pros/ Cons of:) What advice would you give regarding below?
Your own HTML/CSS/Script based site that you mostly (if not completley) built. (More control and original, but harder / tedious for beginner)
HTML Temlplate (tweak the HTML and CSS)--non framework type (Quick and easy, but usually poor quality, outdated?)--but some can servde as good starting point.
Wordpress (And others like Drupal, Joomla) (Somewhat quick and easy access to tweak a quality WP Theme with ability for alot of features--forms, search, databases, etc (otherwise might have trouble with advanced features w/o good working knowledge og PHP and MYSQL, maybe others?)--but kind of a 'workaround' for real HTML design?
Frameworks types like Foundation, Bootstrap, Skeleton
A combination or hybrid of methods? -- or another method I have overlooked?
Thanks very much for any insight you can offer, hopeully this will lead to a vibrant discussion.-

Answer 1

The websites I build are 95% PHP/MySQL. They are heavy on business logic. I sometimes work with designers, SEO "experts" and (rarely) other coders. I almost never work on the content of websites. The clients do that themselves through the CMS I build for them.
I write every line of code myself except for the use of jQuery and a few PHP code classes adapted from others. I can build a complex website in a matter of minutes by reusing the code libraries and patterns I have developed from previous projects.
I don't use a PHP framework because I have developed my own "pseudo-framework" for the particular kinds of sites I build, but I respect the frameworks that are out there. They can teach you excellent coding habits.
In starting the design and logic of a site, the most essential question is: What is the website (or website project) supposed to accomplish? My clients tell me what they want to accomplish, but I usually decide how to get there. This holds for both business logic and design, because design also must serve the business objectives.
My website projects generally take four months to two years to complete. The client usually dedicates one employee to work as a liaison between me and the rest of the company. Because the sites I build are heavy on the business logic, a great deal of time is spent on testing and debugging. I make testing the responsibility of the client so I can't be held liable if, for instance, a terrible accounting mistake is discovered in the code logic.
I like to use Adobe Illustrator for design development because I became an Adobe Illustrator ACE in 2000; however, I can see that Fireworks is probably the better tool. Photoshop is an important secondary tool.
For general site management and code writing I use both Dreamweaver and ZEND Studio; however, I use Dreamweaver less and less.
I now require all my clients to have their websites (and also domain name registrations, since my company is a domain name reseller) hosted on my VPS server. This prevents anyone from stealing code I have worked for years to develop and also establishes a commitment between myself and the client. When you are starting a web development business, you can't demand this kind of commitment from the client. Even a lot of great seasoned developers can't. It depends on your reputation within the specific industry(ies) you service.