Ayom.com needs a new website design (vBulletin forum)

Ayom.com

Ayom is a forum/community of website owners. Our job is to connect people and help them to promote their products and services

http://www.ayom.com

1. We are looking for a FRESH, MODERN, VERY SIMPLE and BEAUTIFUL design. We are looking for a style like http://www.verkaufen.ch or http://www.cyon.ch

2. Most vBulletin forums are quite ugly. We need to STAND OUT from the crowd. We would like to have the most f*cking beautiful vBulletin forum on the planet :)

3. The text font/typography should not be too small. It should be readable very well

4. Colors: We are a forum for internet professionals. We're talking mostly about business. So the colors should be professional, yet remain fresh, modern and beautiful. The background should be rather bright instead of dark (the current website is somehow too dark and not fresh/modern enough)

5. Please SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY. If you're not sure about an element, first try it without it.

6. Ad space: In the upper area of the website there will be a 728x90 banner (see the current website http://www.ayom.com or http://www.warriorforum.com). It should be integrated well and draw attention to it. It has to be above the fold.

7. Ad space: There should a a column on the left or right side that displays three 125x125 banner ads (see the current website http://www.ayom.com)

8. Navigation: We will DROP the left navigation. Instead we want a top navigation like in most vBulletin forums have.

9. Footer: We want a large footer that contains a lot of space for links and information, something like on http://www.verkaufen.ch

10. Logo: Please incorporate our new logo (see uploads)

11. Please consider the modularity of the given Software (Vbulletin: Many contents blicks can be enabled/disabled).

The homepage should introduce our service to new visitors. It also features 5 popular forum discussions and 5 popular classified ads from our market place.
Status Quo: http://www.ayom.com

The discussion/thread page is where the forum discussions take place. The discussions should be the focus of this page. We especially need beautiful icons and buttons.
Status Quo: http://www.ayom.com/topic-72893.html also vbulletin_discussion-page.png to see the standard vBulletin thread view)

Important: We are using the vBulletin 4.2.0. software (see the standard theme vbulletin_discussion-page.png). So it helps if you already have experience with vBulletin or have a look at some large forums like http://www.warriorforum.com

We really don't want just another vBulletin design. It really has to stand out and be clean, simple, fresh, beautiful. Remember that we would like to have the most beautiful vBulletin forum on the planet :)

Please keep in mind to incorporate our new logo (see uploads). If one of the finalists has experience with vBulletin styles/themes, we are open to give you more jobs after this contest (slicing the graphics, finalizing our new vBulletin style/theme etc.). Please also know that in the past we have awarded the most active/responsive non-winners with thank-you payments as an appreciation. Please know that we appreciate everybodys work, but please also understand that we cannot pay everyone who participates.