From time to time, I come across some "great new idea" that "is going to revolutionize the way we do" whatever. Most of these ideas turn out to be gimmicks and never really catch on. I find that this is especially true when people talk about pen based or voice activated systems. Well, the Denim project, out of Berkeley, may be one of those great ideas that really is great [Denim].

The tool is designed to simplify the task of designing a website. Instead of using a number of complex tools to perform different parts of a web design, Denim provides a single, simple to use interface for sketching out a web design. It is intended to be used with a pen device (though a mouse can be used) and you sketch the pages that you want to create as well as the relationships between those pages.

It works on many levels of abstraction and allows you to link up the pages, create story boards and layouts, and include text and hand drawn pictures. As you go, you can continually add more detail and drill down on the specifics. It will even simulate the web page and allow you to surf around your sketches.

To see Denim in action, go check out their video introduction (Real: low | high). Denim is free, so, if you think you might want to build a website, it is well worth checking out.
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