Who Are The Best vB Designers

[Mone']

Originally Posted by bigcurt

Sorry, I just dont agree. Don't get me wrong, I love custom skins, ect..but considering how most people make skins, it is ridculous..you make a few PS images custom for your site..ok. But then all you do is sort of repeat the same image at different widths at different places....if you are good at PS..you can basically do a custom skin, heck, even most XML files are just a universal thing..just change the variables around IE: header_small or whatever..and your done..and getting paid 400-500 bux...that is ludicrous ( dont think I spelled that right )


Dont get me wrong, I totally agree that it isnt easy, but I have never seen just a custom forum skin worth that much money..never



~Curt

Hi,
I couldn't resist putting my 2c into this thread after reading some of the comments.

A $500 and over skin is really not that much when you think the amount of work you have to put into it to create a original skin.

For starter NOT EVERY PSD are the same, not every xhtml are based on the same layout, come on how can you say that?

Many hrs goes into designing, coding and talking/emailing the client back and forward to make sure that he is pleased with what he is paying you for.

Just to show you a couple of examples:

theMouthPiece.com

Many and many hrs where put into that skin from all the custom coding to the actual design and layout, not to mention the postbit.

Not custom work but a template:

vBStyles.com - Aria Skin

I don't think it's just a matter of changing the same images around as you think


And if you can make more Money working at Mc Donald that by working as a web developer, perhaps you should start thinking why your work is not selling.....if you know what i mean.




Back on thread topic , there is no best designer, there are so many talented people out there that are not getting recognition or simply are not interested in sharing they're work and many great site that are simply not doing any custom work for some reason or another one.

Make sure to check up the person you are going to get to do a skin for you, reference and previous work before you even contact them for a job.

Make sure to sign a written contract before you pay any money so that you can protect your investment and time...better be careful than sorry.

Take care

Mone'

[Blindchild02]

mone's the man

[MRGTB]

I agree with you to a certain degree Mone'

But what you have to remember is a skin is only worth the same as what other talented designers are selling there's for with the same quality and standard of work.

For example if your selling a car, you check the autotrader first to see what others are selling the same car for with same condition and millage. In other words prices are dictated by the overall going rate. Seeing as you can buy top class skins for £25, I have to agree that $500 (£400) is rather expensive just for a skin when you concider the going average rate for the best skins out there is around £75 pounds. So my question would be.

If I see a skin for £75 that looks just as good as one for £400. What makes that skin worth £325 extra. Because skins that cost £75 still can offer a back-up service just the same as a £400 skin.

[Andrew]

Originally Posted by Gary Bolton

For example if your selling a car, you check the autotrader first to see what others are selling the same car for with same condition and millage. In other words prices are dictated by the overall going rate. Seeing as you can buy top class skins for ?25, I have to agree that $500 (?400) is rather expensive just for a skin when you concider the going average rate for the best skins out there is around ?75 pounds. So my question would be.

If I see a skin for ?75 that looks just as good as one for ?400. What makes that skin worth ?325 extra. Because skins that cost ?75 still can offer a back-up service just the same as a ?400 skin.

When you pay for a custom skin you not only pay for the skin itself but for the ownership of the skin itself. Yes you can find "top class" skins for ?25 but when you purchase a skin like that from vBStyles or ExtremePixels you only get the rights to use it as does anyone else who wants to use that skin. The main selling point of a custom skin is that it's truely custom as you own the full rights to use and distribute it.

[MRGTB]

Good point, but the question still stands. Why pay £400 to own the rights to a skin when you can pay £70-100 for the same standard of work and also own the rights for a fraction of the price.

The main point I was trying to get across is a skin is only worth what the going rate is. Just the same as anything else you sell (were not paying for a brand name here). Like you would with jeans or shoes etc. And $500 is most certanly not the average going rate going of the internet as a whole.

That's all I'm trying to say. Yea, I supose big companies will pay that kind of money. But if you trying to target the average internet user like myself to buy them. You need to match the going rates of other top class skinners. Otherwise your just going to lose buisness to them.

[Andrew]

Originally Posted by Gary Bolton

Good point, but the question still stands. Why pay ?400 to own the rights to a skin when you can pay ?70-100 for the same standard of work and also own the rights for a fraction of the price.

The main point I was trying to get across is a skin is only worth what the going rate is. Just the same as anything else you sell (were not paying for a brand name here). Like you would with jeans or shoes etc. And $500 is most certanly not the average going rate going of the internet as a whole.

That's all I'm trying to say. Yea, I supose big companies will pay that kind of money. But if you trying to target the average internet user like myself to buy them. You need to match the going rates of other top class skinners. Otherwise your just going to lose buisness to them.

That's why people that don't care about who else is using it use vBStyles and ExtremePixles and those who want something unique and one of a kind come to people like myself and many of the other designers here. For a one off unique skin though $500 is not much at all - I've spoken with clients of mine who had contacted larger designers and we're being faced with $1000-$2500 pricetags on a one off design.

[smacklan]

This is a very interesting thread! Lots of good thoughts and advice being posted. Mone' gives some very good advice. There are more people making great skins than I think most know about. vBStyles and Extremepixels have really nice "off the rack" styles for what they charge for them as does Transverse and Cinvin and vBCore. I think most people don't have the extreme dollars to invest in something really unique but would like to have that. I think we all agree that the vB platform is the best forum product out there, but what I would really like to see is something totally radical..."thinking out of the box" type application of a style...I'm not sure I know how to describe it better, but even the best custom styles I've seen still look like vB (not that thats bad, but does anyone else know what I mean?). I suppose unless things were completely redesigned as far as vB goes thats not possible...anyway...sorry to ramble

[bigcurt]

Well, see one thing with me, is it all depends on who makes the skin/and the quality of it. Now if I see a totally custom skin, with everything custom, buttons, post buttons, headers, navbar buttons...the whole KABLAM..then ofcourse the author deserves more..BUT..and I do say BUT..alot of the skin makers I have seen, just take the same psd image and multiply it at different widths...or just take the same button they already have and make them a different color..or something of that sort. And tell me, all the coding that is in the skins with the XML file, ect. Correct me if I am wrong cause I very well could be, because I know exactly 0% about making a skin other than what I have heard/seen..but do most coders not just take another XML file already made, like say the vBulletin XML skin file, or something of that sort..and just use it as a standard for theres? They just switch around the variables so instead of being v3_header or something like that it is skinname_header, ect..am I right? I could be wrong but I dont believe I am, but I totally agree with you smacklan, it all depends on the coder/designer that makes it..if they make everything XHTML transitional..there is a little plus to em also..but some dont..and they still charge the OUTRAGEOUS price they do.

~Curt

[Adrian Schneider]

People really shouldn't use XHTML compliancy as an excuse to raise the price, once you learn the few (yes few) differences between HTML and XHTML, it is jsut as easy, and takes no more time (assuming you know what your doing, and if you don't, you shouldn't be doing this!)

I find it rude to argue about someones price, if they feel that is what it's worth and you disagree, just look elsewhere. Even if they are totally wrong, let them find out themself, they won't get any customers. If they do, they must be doing something right, and you shouldn't be criticizing them. Although I'm not a designer, I would say it would really hurt for someone to say my work isn't worth what I am asking.

Anyway, give the designers some slack, but don't let them rip you off.

A great alternative is contests for forum skins on your board! It's not that hard to convert a PSD to a template, and IMO it has worked out great at my board (3-4 times).

[KTBleeding]

Originally Posted by SirAdrian

People really shouldn't use XHTML compliancy as an excuse to raise the price, once you learn the few (yes few) differences between HTML and XHTML, it is jsut as easy, and takes no more time (assuming you know what your doing, and if you don't, you shouldn't be doing this!)

To be honest, I coded in XHTML before I even knew what it was. Just cause I liked having clean looking code. :speechless: