I vote for pencil and paper ;-) you can erase!
I do this and then directly create the sql in phpmyadmin or something similar -- for most of projects which are small.
And you're not limited by the preconceived notions of the software you're using. It's also surprising how quickly you learn something when you have to draw and erase it 5 times (vs. entering some data into someone else's app.)
for most of projects which are small
Large projects too. They're just a lot of small projects stuck together.
also I would like to point out that I love paper. I love notebooks with my daily notes in them. I love print-outs. I love storing paper. I love seeing my (ugly)handwriting in my notes. It makes me remember things and makes me understand faster than looking at the fonts in my monitor.
I have tried using whiteboard. But i kept on erasing stuff and had no permanent records. My life was a mess when i used it (for about a week). so i went back to pencil and paper ;)
your 8 megapixel camera solves my problem. But i don't have one.
