For those of you admining on a board with a paid for, custom layout - how did you go about finding your layout designer?

I know that there are sections on resource sites, including this one, that will code or make graphics piecemeal by request and for free, but I am talking about finding someone who is willing to take care of the entire aesthetic end for a fee (skin, sidebar, graphics).

On the sites I've been on that have had custom-made layouts, the talent was often an friend of the admin, but being that I am not bffs with anyone who likes to skin, code, and photoshop, I'm wondering what the other options are out there.

It depends on your forum software. Most packages have tons of groups whose business model is entirely based forum customization, so it's just a matter of tracking that down.

Yup, I've done the requisite google search and I'm failing at that, so I wonder how other people have managed to find their layout artists?

My boyfriend designed my games but he works almost exclusively with SMF. He's also a web designer, so he sometimes takes on jobs to design web sites or forums for other people, so if you're talking about a general website or an SMF forum, you can shoot me a PM for his email address or AIM to get a hold of him, but other than that, I don't know anybody or how to get a hold of anybody like that.

EDIT: And yes, he can do sidebars. My games don't have them because I don't like them, but it doesn't mean he doesn't know how to do it.

I've always generally heard things through the grapevine when it comes to "who's a person that can do a shiznit custom layout for me?" I usually ask friends and don't normally waste my time googling something like that since some places can be deceiving so I like knowing someone who's had personal experience.

Granted.... i've never had to look around for custom layouts as I tend to make my own. :sweat:

@ Saibat: Good to know! I've started building this new rpg on Invisionfree (because I'm lazy and it's familiar), but I have started to second guess that with all these recently posted documentations about how awesome SMF is. If I decide to spring for hosting and move to SMF, I greatly appreciate being able to PM you.

@ Shade: Yeah, the google results have not been very fruitful for me, and I do feel like the sort layout "environment" (for lack of a better word) needed for an rp site is different than what most professional customization groups might do. Like, I would prefer someone who had experience specifically designing other rp forums, not a business forum site. A couple of times the credits on a really stunning rpg will lead to a designer open to clients, but I have not seen that often, and it would be nice to be aware of more just for comparison.

Have you tried Deviant art? There are designers on there that will offer their services and some of them have made rpg forum skins and/or layouts for rpg websites. It might take a bit of fishing and you will have to be willing to pay various amounts of money. Granted, it's always a good thing to find someone who will do it for free, it's not always the easiest thing to find for what you are wanting.

That's a good idea! Thanks for the tip, that would certainly narrow it down. :]

All right! Just let me know. I like helping people out. :D