Axure

Software for website design and mock ups - I used to make most of my mock ups and wireframes using illustrator, but it took forever and I couldn't test user interface that well because none of the button or links actually worked. But with this software, I can make mock ups in about half the time as compared to using illustrator and all of the links actually work. The final output of the software is just HTML code that is fairly functional. You can make drop down lists, working text fields and more just in a few seconds. It takes longer than that just to make those types of items in illustrator or photoshop. The only disadvantage is the learning curve of the software. If you are just making a simple website, this is overkill and for the price of the software you are better off buying dreamweaver or something like that. However if you are creating a complex website or designing multiple sites for clients, then it is definitely worthwhile to invest both the time and money into this software. Preproduction is everything in good site design and this software can dramatically help with that.