Do you use a visual database designer?
 

If so which one?

dry erase board

I am not sure what you mean by "visual". Data usually is visible.

Now if your talking about a database manager, that allows you to manage your data in tables. Then phpmyadmin is my database manager of choice.

I mean programs like Kexi and Open offices 'Base' - I think zend do one too..

Like this: http://www.mysql.com/products/workbench/

The one above is an update based on fabforce.net's db designer (well the chief designer moved there from fabforce) And it's by MySQL / Sun, not Zend...

Personally i dont use one and i dont recommend that you do either, By using programs you dont get a personal feel and some things can get messed up, i recommend doing it all by hand in notepad or like Enfernikus suggested a dry erase board which is what i use as well.

Agreed. This is the best way to learn mySQL.

You may learn some things a little bit better, but in the end you will just waste a lot of time. Maybe just start with no GUI but the time you save with a GUI makes it completely worth it.

Navicat, or phpmyadmin for me btw. I was not much of a fan of the ones that mysql provides..

HeidiSQL is my favorite but for the actual design and how things are going to be implemented...Dry Erase board.

I used to always start on the Dry Erase Board... lately i'll just use a UML program like OmniGraffle or Visio to get the idea down. If it's something I'm going to be tinkering with a lot, i'll go ahead and load up MySQL Workbench - just so I can directly export the SQL.

@corey it may be faster however if something does not go wrong it is harder to correct it, also many programs that I have used have issues with displaying certain types of information.