Paper ....

... is so useful for UI design. Other than a GUI builder it allows for quickly changing input widgets and even whole dialog sequences without programming efforts. It is fast, efficient, and you can put many elements next to each other - till your table or whatever pad you use is full. Still you can easily overlook everything without a zoom that decreases the font sizes.

• You can use paper to mockup user interfaces:
   
  [image:1546 align=center width=300 class=showonplanet]

   
  Brainstorming in the development team:

  1. Collect and visualize ideas,
  2. merge different ideas in the mockup,
  3. walk through the mockup considering most common use cases.

   
  Testing an interaction design:
  

  1. Usability test with 5 to 10 users,
  2. user performs realistic tasks with the prototype,
  3. moderator reflects the software's reaction by adding and removing menus, dialogs, labels.

 

• You can use paper to create menu structures:
   
  [image:1545 align=center width=300 class=showonplanet]
   
  1. Write all items of your menu on cards,
  2. search for a huge pad, e.g. your floor,
  3. sort the cards in groups representing the menus,
  4. modify the sequence within the groups,
  5. change labels if they don't fit,
      
     [image:1547 align=center width=100 class=showonplanet]
      
  6. check your menus on guidelines conformity.

And all you need is paper, scissors, and a pen.