My design skills are non-existent, but I often need functional little buttons or badges. Using Photoshop for that sort of thing is like taking a sledgehammer to a nut, so I was extremely happy when I found iconfu.
It appears to be pure Javascript, which is impressive just as a technical feat, but it's also an extremely usable and surprisingly full-featured tool for building tiny icons. It's got undo, nicely anti-aliased primitives and some handy filters. Even better, it's completely free for up to 16x16 images. It's no Photoshop so don't expect to see layers or freehand, but that's part of what I love about it. It takes me back to the paint programs I'd use in the late 80's, and the hours I spent clicking individual pixels to create a massive 320x240 demo background.
The only drawback is that Internet Explorer is not supported, but if doing any web design work I'm sure you'll have a better an alternative browser installed anyway.
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