A better workflow for screen real estate than spaces? [closed]

Really, you can't beat two physical 1080 monitors and an extra, smaller (~1024x768) one (touchscreen a plus). This works best for headless machines, or machines with an integrated 1080 display. Here are example workflows for different scenarios (Big1=1080 main, Big2=1080 extra, Small1=small extra):

Coder:
Big1: The piece of code you're actively working on. Big2: The list of related files (like in XCode), and the interface design. Small1: Where the app's windows(s) go when you test it, unless it's big. Or music controls.

Web Developer
Big1: Code. Big2: Browser preview. Small1: FTP client or ebooks or list of files or editor utility panels.

Photo Editing/Design
Big1: Editing window (Ps controls, image, etc). Big2: List of photos w/ previews. Big 3: Original image or music controls or editor panels.

Student (the one I spend the most time in)
Big1: Paper/essay on the left and outline on the right. Big2: Research websites, ebooks, works cited, etc (two open simultaneously works well). Small1: Music controls or assignment sheet/project requirements.

A partial solution to overcome the lack of real screen estate: I often use cmd+tab to efficiently switch back and forth applications that I use concurrently. This doesn't require 'thinking', I rarely try to pick another app from the multitasking list other than the last used.

I usually have all apps open and full screen (MBP high-res). Then if I need another app I fall back to Exposé (mapped to a screen corner).

You need a bigger screen. Preferably, bigger screen*s*.

The other thing you might try is Divvy, which is a sort of tiling window manager thing for OS X. Sink some time into configuring it, and you'll it back hundreds of times over from time saved organizing stuff.