Ray is spot on. Dont let well meaning friends or "kitchen designers" (read - salespeople) design your kitchen. Seek out an independent CKD (Certified Kitchen Designer). They will design you a kitchen that suits your lifestyle and budget.
Hi there. I have some brief info here on kitchen design software.
I like KitchenDraw the best. The first 30 hours are free and then you just buy additional hours when you need to.
-Kevin