Before designing an algorithm it is important to first understand what the problem is. Algorithms can be designed using pseudocode or a flowchart, and the standard notations of each should be known.

Pseudocode is kind of the same way, but over time I've used it a lot less often - generally, if I feel the need to draw something out, it's because I haven't figured out how to express what I want ...

When designing algorithms, it is important to make sure that all the steps are presented in the correct order. This is known as sequencing, and can be displayed in pseudocode or flowcharts.