Custom design of a vBulletin Skin

I'm currently in the market for a custom skin for my vBulletin Site and 1 static HTML page that is in line with the forum design to have a seamless design throughout the site. I'm using vBAdvanced but we REALLY do not like it. We have never learnt how to use it properly and the front end just looks horrible. Since I do have HTML/PHP knowledge, I think our best option is to have a static HTML page for the front end that ties in with our forum look to create a seamless design throughout the site and I'll just hand modify the front end when we need to change it rather than trying to make our forums work with a CMS. For the forums, ideally, I would like a skin that is 100% css as I'm trying to get away from tables altogether. However, I know that this is challenging and if it is cost prohibitive, tables will have to be what we use. The skin would have to be very 'light' graphics wise. My ultimate aim is to use CSS as much as possible to cut down on load time. the only graphics I for see are some tiles, buttons and icons, and logo... Everything else should be CSS if possible. But again open for your opinions. The forums (and it's static HTML page frontend) has to have a Web 2.0 feel... I'll put some links down below to what I like. *********Continued in the Deliverable's section******** ## Deliverables 1) Color choice or link to some sites I like. In order: [login to view URL] - I love how their front end looks with rounded corners and gradients. I also like how it ties in with their "MakeMoney" skin: [login to view URL] The colours and the style is very strong which I don't like so much but I do like how it ties together and the shapes and 'feel'. I also really like [login to view URL] which is a bit too light for me and I dislike sidebars and I'm not very happy about the navbar either... It just doesn't look quite right with all the rounded corners and then big blocky square buttons for the navbar. The only changes I would do that skin would be to darken the colours a bit, add some height to the header to make room for my logo and for non-standard size banners (max height would be 250px), add a tab navigation under where the advertising banner is to navigate through the site, and try to fix the navbar buttons so they look a little 'better'. [login to view URL] - I don't like the skin so much but I do like how the tabbed navigation is and how it looks... I would like something like that to be in the header for site wide navigation. 2) Do you I use a portal(vba) or need left side bar? No need for left side bar, and as explained earlier, we won't be using vBA or any other CMS, just a static html page 3) Need fluid or fixed width? Fluid please with maximum of 90 to 95% width and minimum of 800px... (this is dependant on what direction the skin goes, but definitely fluid) 4) Do you need extra buttons at the top navbar ie. arcade, gallery etc... Everything should be handled by default navbar or editable to add a tab in the header 5) Will you be placing adv banners? Yes, am willing to discuss placement but has to be prominent (ideally upper right corner in the header as per the Crystal Clean skin demo'd above). 6) can i use clipart/cartoon type images replated to your site theme on the header? No Cartoons unless cleared with us first. As I said, this site needs to be professional looking but with a parenting 'slant'. The header needs to be clean and using my own logo... Possibly where advertising banners will go as well... Unsure and open to your advice/opinions. Just to clarify, we want something that is modern looking but not distracting. Colours similar to what we have now but possibly lightened. Tabbed navigation. Rounded corners. Adult/professional themed, but still aimed at parents. Preferably CSS but if too expensive, tables are fine. and it needs to be vB 3.7 ready. Please see the image here: [login to view URL] that will show you the sort of colours we need to stay close to and what we are working with already. This is just an exploritory effort to find out if a custom skin is the way to go or will we continue to use freely available skins. 1) Complete and fully-functional working program(s) in executable form as well as complete source code of all work done. 2) Deliverables must be in ready-to-run condition, as follows (depending on the nature of the deliverables): a) For web sites or other server-side deliverables intended to only ever exist in one place in the Buyer's environment--Deliverables must be installed by the Seller in ready-to-run condition in the Buyer's environment. b) For all others including desktop software or software the buyer intends to distribute: A software installation package that will install the software in ready-to-run condition on the platform(s) specified in this bid request. 3) All deliverables will be considered "work made for hire" under U.S. Copyright law. Buyer will receive exclusive and complete copyrights to all work purchased. (No GPL, GNU, 3rd party components, etc. unless all copyright ramifications are explained AND AGREED TO by the buyer on the site per the coder's Seller Legal Agreement). * Deliverable needs to be an installable skin. * Any/all graphics need to be royaltyfree or public domain, verification may be requested. * PSD supplied to incase I need to add buttons in the future * the deliverables will be mine after completion of bid, you will not be allowed to re-release the design to anyone else ## Platform php mysql vBulletin