In Java, there is only one right way to develop a GUI--by hand. No other road is acceptable in our realm. For reason I won't get into here, the Netbeans Generator is frowned upon by all respectable programmers. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when developing your own GUI:
Picture a kid riding a bicycle on the highway in first gear... He has to make it 40 miles and he's traveling at about 5 miles an hour. 8 hours to get to the destination--Totally inefficient, right? Why not just shift into a higher gear...