vB Styles? More like Plains
 

And now they don't. What happened? I'm not exactly sure. When did it happen? Some time around the creation of vb 3.0. When http://www.ravio.com dissapeared they really started going down the drain. You take a look at the crap inside the graphics forum these days? They should be called plains, not styles because they aint got no style! I've seen a few decent styles over at transversestyles, and even some at vbskins, but the rest of the sites I've seen are a joke. Anyone remember vbPanel? They had some skill. Anyone who is designing for 3.x, do me a favor and go to vbulletin.com and download vb 2.3.x, get yourself a bundle of skins, and figure out why yours don't compare.

/end of rant, sorry.

OK, so if the styles are so bad why don't you get off your butt and design your own...?

Not the most tactful of posters are we...

You should look a little harder, I think, as there are many sites out there doing work as nice or better than the examples you give. My understanding was that ravio disappeared because the owners were not doing things on the up and up O_o

Aye, I would have included vbCore as well but most of those styles are custom. I asked for a quote not so long ago but there has been no response. I would design my own skin but I simply don't have enough time on my hands right now.

Theres loads of sites around, just need to check, but if you like style then look no further :P, hit the sig. And if you like to see vB editted in every way just wait a few weeks and see what the next style comes out as.

I couldn't agree more! I do know of a new site opening up that will be doing everything very much differently, and when I hear more I'll send you a link :bunny:

MusicMan, everyone has a right to voice their opinion. Just because Pickalo voiced theirs does not mean that they're 'lazy'. Maybe they just have higher standards. Have a great day ;)

I simply wish more people would make an effort to create their own skins. I'd rather see an original sucky skin than slight variations on the same super slick one a million forums over.

@Bubble #5: Of course he does, most certainly. I more than many, respect that right of opinion, please believe me. I simply consider the manner in which his opinion was expressed could have been better articulated.

I'm sure doing that would have gained a more positive response from some of the designers around these parts. Posting in the manner he did I am sure will quite possibly make them think otherwise.

If a request for designers to release 'better' styles was the objective of the post, then surely a pragmatic and politely worded post would have opened the doors for a more positive response from any of the many designers out there in dot org land reading it.

Point taken, but the same could also be said about most (or at least a lot) of posts on the net these days.

Probably, but then that would be their loss of an opportunity, not his ;)

You would think, but this has to be at least the 14th or 15th time that I've seen someone complain about boring, dull, run of the mill skins on the net within the last couple of years, and no one has yet picked up the anvil and siezed the moment. There's lots of people who know how to use Photshop these days, so that's not the issue. The problem appears to be that they're all stuck in the mud doing the *yawn* "same old - same-old". As mentioned above there will be some major breakthroughs in this area, but not from anyone currently making skins. Perhaps it's about time for some fresh innovative thinking to open up the doors and to show what's really possible in this area. I can't wait :bunny:

You know... I totally agree with you. I too am after a fresh new approach to the way my main site ir percieved, and the way I am attemptig to accomploish this is to have already started working with an experienced - though non-vb - coder.

I don't want my site to look as though it is based around a forum (vB) - and even though many attempts have been made by several coders to produce Drupal and Mambo gateways etc, these don't fully do the job I require.

So, the designer/coder is looking in detail at my design and user requirements, and will then design a new fresh style/layout for this, only then will she code it for vB.

Hopefully the result will be a front page that doesn't look too much like the site is based around a forum. We'll see...

Well, I thought the same way about the quality, and just can't keep shelling out money for a decent look, so I guess I'm doing a "sucky" skin for myself.

The one thing I am finding, is dispite what the standard response is, it's really not that easy to work in VB, with that insane template system.

I use to do Nuke templates, and though people would turn up their nose at it, sure was a heck of a lot easier to understand and work with, and maybe that's the problem? We are all not rocket scientists here, and there's a heck of a learning curve, and maybe that's why the free skins look so similar.

Add to that certain people have appointed themselves guardians of the code, or some sort of CSS police or something, and expect a standard that maybe is putting off some people as well.

I'm having a shot at it, but then I'm not worried about whether my theme is 100 % validated. It's for my enjoyment, and really, what are they gonna do? Knock down my door, and then beat me with their pocket protectors if I use tables instead of CSS? :)

I sure appreicate the effort that people put into their stuff, and then release it here. Good or bad, doesn't really matter, it's like a gift, it's the thought that counts that's the most important thing.

You might want to take a look at this thread before you consider vbcore on any list of good designers:

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...802#post986802

Well you worded it a lot better, but that basically shows the same frustration that the original poster showed :bunny: And there's really no reason why your site should have to look as though it is based around a forum. It's certainly not a prerequisite of the code. I hope you can find the look that you're after, you're certainly not going to find it from any skinning site around these days, and I think that's what the first poster was hinting at ;)

I fully agree. Your site is unique in just one more way with your own skin (although if your skin was made custom it will be too). First impressions through skins can be important to guests. Most people know a skin is just a skin, but to a guest, it's that first feel.

totally agree :classic:

Well I'm going to speak for myself, but as a designer, I exactly know what you are talking about. However you have to look at it in the designer's view as well. The better the skin means more time put into it, that way the designer will have to charge even more for each skin, and it wouldn't really help them if they sold it at around 25-30 each.

However up to recently I had only desinged custom skins for the clients, but now I'm planning to offer most of my graphical skins to the public as well soon at my website.

There are many other complaints about vbCore... and by the way, reread post#6 of that thread!!

I agree with the styles though, many look the same nowadays. They are all very similar, with a modified color scheme, and a few rotating gradients.

And how do we make something totally differnt while still keeping things userfriendly. Point of the matter is there is only so much that can be done, before its been done to death. Thats what designers are facing today. Just because styles arn't as facny and 56k death as ravios were doesn't mean some of the stuff coming out today is any worse. I bet now you will find styles that are not only pleasing, but they are xhtml valid and load decent on a slower connection. Which when you face facts, there are tons of people in the US alone who are still on dailup.

Zachery, I didn't mean to offend anybody with my comment. I have tried making skins, and they are difficult to do. I also like many of your skins.

What I would really like to see, though, is some real artsy skins. It doesn't have to be loaded with images (which I actually hate) to be unique. I like the ones that modify the layout rather than just the colors/images that most do.

There is nothing wrong with the ones out now in my eyes, but that doesn't mean there isn't room to improve!

I made a style called emotional and it can be found at cinvin.com (sorry for the plug) but I'd call it more artsy than most. But its not the best work.

well simple just defines simeple...

Im not a good vB coder , or anything like that, but i know how to handle my work around it.

Here are two skins i made for a customer.

Nice and Simple.

http://physicsforums.com/

http://physicsforums.com/index.php?styleid=4

Two styles, one based on the other, yet different in a way.

It has what some user would want on a skin, and the other what someone would go for simplicity..

My New upcoming website will be loaded with graphics , but yet retaining a nice smooth look to it.

hopefully you guys can comment on these and my upcoming new webiste.

Simple is good, if you know how to do simeple... just as complex is good , if you know how to Manage what you work with.


But overall

I definitely hear you on the dialup thing. Despite using a lot of graphics on my vBulletin site?and my other sites?I take great pains to keep the image sizes reasonable and well-optimized for dialup folks. I remember well the pain of waiting a minute or more for one page of a thread to load when I was on dialup.

Xtrato, I'm also thinking of starting to make skins. I had a client before a month that wanted a custom skin and I really enjoyed the process (even though she scammed me at the end :() Can you inform me on how much you charged the customer? (via pm of course, I know you can't tell in public) :)
Generally, I'm concerned on the prices, I think they are very low for the work needed (I make my own icons and sometimes even smilies etc)

SmashingYoungMan, of course somebody should take into account dialup users. If he can't then he'd better become a graphic designer, not a web designer ;)

Wow. You probably just saved me a ton of money and stress. Thanks mate.