Well, all day I have been working on a design for my up coming forum, That's Life Forum Coming Soon!. I have learned from my mistakes, and this time, I am NOT going to show anyone the forum until I have EVERYTHING ready and the way I want it. I plan to take my time and spend a couple of months setting up TLF. I am very happy I bought the domain and I am going to take a lot of pride in this project.

I want it to be something very full, very unique, and not vB default AT ALL for once. Something I will love and something I may actually get complemented on.

After lots of hours I have came up with a super rough draft of the TLF design. It is draw on the back of a piece of paper in pen, lol, and I don't know how clear it will be.

http://thatslifeforum.com/layout.JPG - HUGE!
http://thatslifeforum.com/layout2.JPG - SMALLER!

Let me try to explain anything that you may be confused about (because I did try to explain right on the paper)

"Nice Gradient" and the top on the right and left are going to basically be the background color/gradient.

"Affiliate Button" on the mid top right and left (WebMeetsAdmin and CodingAddict examples) are small affiliate buttons that YOU can put there.

Under the banner and the links at the top (user cp, new posts, etc.) you see "That's Life Forum" in two rectangles. This is the default vB navigation but without any links. (You know, the one with the folder next to it.) The only think that will ever been on it is when you are in a forum/thread and it tells you where you are (like it normally would)

The images in the right of the banner are from right to left: sky scrapers, cruise ship, JEEP (or exotic car), food, sports. This will probably be changed.

The PM/welcome back box is the first top left column.

The box next to it above there forums is a modified version of that welcome back hack you can download. The box with Tyler W. TLF admin is my avatar, etc.

More side columns have navigation, affiliates, and other things not shown.

The statistics are moved to the last left column how you see it. Right under that is a small gradient (same as footer gradient) for mark forums read/view forum leaders.

The whole footer is modified. Right after the last forum you have what's going on. This has who is online and who has been online. The welcome newest member is with the stats.

After this you have a similar rotating banner that AF has (I really like this) to fill it in I wrote "That's Life" on both sides. (Maybe this would be a background image, I don't know.)

On the very bottom right there are the copyrights aligned right. On the other side of this you have more partners. When you hover their name with your pointer their affiliate button will appear clickable in that box next to it that says "hover link."

This is all I have for now and I am VERY happy with it. The forum will also have a lot of shiny and glossy images and gradients and the TLF logo on the top right of each column as well as the welcome box. I am super excited about this whole thing! The only thing I'm dreading is finding someone that can make it EXACTLY how I imagine it. I can't really do it myself due to lack of graphic skills and I probably can't do all the template edits right to get it just like that.

Offers are welcome but I don't think this will be needed for at least a month from now so there is no rush. I will also be posting this on other forums on the lookout for a great web designer.

Let me know what you think of my current design!

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-Foxx
Major vBulletin Fan... Nothing Else.
I dream I will own a big-board one day. Yeah, one day...

I don't have permission to access those images

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Ford Mustang Forums - F-Series Trucks

Yeah, apparently NoCatch does not allow hotlinking. You need to copy and paste one of the links to the browser, then it works. Or, when on the no permission page, click go in your browser and that works too.

__________________
-Foxx
Major vBulletin Fan... Nothing Else.
I dream I will own a big-board one day. Yeah, one day...

lol I was expecting a screen shot of an actual skin.

Looks good

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Ford Mustang Forums - F-Series Trucks

I like it - Good to see you're thinking this through instead of just throwing it together ad hoc...You're miles ahead of most forums owners. I never even created a "blueprint" like that for AF

Indeed

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...some super-sweet signature

Darn hotlinking protection

And this is a really good idea, you seem to know what you want out of the design and site. And it looks well laid out.

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Immortality will come to such as are fit for it

I always plan my sites first out on paper - glad to see I'm not the only one =)

Nice work - keep up the enthusiasm!

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Where's Waldo?, Book Club, Scavenger Hunt, Role Playing, Travel Guide, Photos, Videos and more.
TalkWhatever.com - Blogs, Social Groups and Forum

I haven't ever thought of doing this, I just get stuck in and make the design on the computer. I might actually do this with my new website because i'm not happy with the design and i can't actually find what i want.

I never plan out first because if I do I will never get anywhere. I will change it 324238947328947289392x before I finish. It is easier if I just go with the picture in my head.

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