Hi there, I used to create websites from zero, blank CSS and really REALLY working my head into creating something really small. That meant using only the styles needed and creating css for multipurpose, etc. Sites created that way were amazingly fast (still, fast).
Then started using themes for CMS like Drupal or WP, this means you can modify something that already exists, or work around a blank theme (a design meant to be "nothing" but the basis for your design). For those unfamiliar, do not confuse using a theme and making it yours, this is different, there are themes created with no other purpose than you creating your design.
Another chapter on my way creating websites was using Twitter Bootstrap. There are many collections of frameworks, TB is one. What's a framework? is a collection of elements that already have a color, shape and sometimes a behavior combined with javascript (their own or using Jquery, Motools, etc). Using Bootstrap really changed my line of work. I really felt it was easier to create mobile first and mobile focused and then desktop, pure responsive sites without me going from zero. They also allow you to use themes, extra piece of CSS that changes the colors and other aspects of your already designed elements.
So far I've been happy with Bootstrap and inserting my modifications. Along the way I discovered some webmasters don't know what a framework is, and when you try to explain they think you are modding some free template you downloaded (is-not-that). Bootstrap can be applied to gui in many areas (graphical user interfaces) and sure made it easy for me to jump on mobile design (apps).
At this point the frameworks got a little bit more complex (or simple?) and diverse, powerful. There are things like ionic, bootstrap, onsen, sencha and many many more. Are you using any of those?
