When I build new characters I typically look at classes, class features, and archetypes and imagine the way they would play out as a focus for a character.
Example 1 -- Variation on Theme: One of my current characters is a barbarian who behaves like a Paladin. He uses rage as his "smite evil" and his superstition rage power as "divine grace". It is really fun not just for me, but for everyone at the table. He's an Orc, but I call him a "double half-orc" and it's just silly. However, in combat it's still a full barbarian, putting out 30+ damage per attack at 5th level, and doing all those things.
Example 2 -- Commitment to Specialization: My wizard in Rise of the Runelords is a Thassilonian transmutation specialist (directly tied to the campaign theme). He's a human dedicated crafter, with emphasis on all the crafting skills, skill focus in Spellcraft and Use Magic Device, and is an artisan. The focus was to be the best crafter of magic items possible, and so I took multiple feats, skills, and items to emphasize that skill set. As a fun wrinkle he has Spectacles of Annihilation, which allow me to freely convert any prepared transmutation spell into another. Since he's a focused specialist, he can spontaneously cast around 1/2 his spells, with only 1/2 being locked in. It's a sub-optimal niche item, with a sub-optimal niche archetype that dovetail perfectly.
For you, I think an Empiricist Investigator focused on intelligence would be awesome. If you want to be skilled, there isn't much better way to do it! The Empiricist takes some of the best skills in the game (disable device, perception, sense motive, and use magic device) and uses intelligence for those skills at 2nd level.
At 3rd level you can take an Investigator Talent, which you could take Expanded Inspiration. It automatically allows you to add your inspiration bonus to additional skills (diplomacy, heal, perception, profession, and sense motive). If you are human, put at least 16 in intelligence and add your racial bonus, take the alternate human racial trait (focused study) for extra skill focus feats, you could be an incredibly skilled character.
At 3rd level:
Perception - +3 for ranks, +3 for class skill, +4 for int modifier, +3 for skill focus, +1d6 for inspiration. Every time you roll a perception check you're looking at
1d20 + 13 + 1d6, for an average perception of 27 at 3rd level! That's pretty good, and I think would allow you to feel like a true contributor at the table. Not to mention you can add your inspiration to all your knowledge, spellcraft, linguistics checks as part of your class.
Furthermore, the class gets 6+Int per level plus human bonus. At 3rd level you would have 33 skill points to spend, either allowing you to max out 11 skills, have 1 rank in 33, or some combination thereof. I would recommend taking at least one rank in all the knowledges, which combines greatly with your inspiration, and max out a few skills for specialization - diplomacy, sense motive, perception, disable device, linguistics, use magic device.
That's 18 skill points spent with 15 for you to distribute as you see fit! You are now the ultimate party face, but completely contingent on your intelligence, a la Sherlock Holmes.
In addition to all those skills you still have alchemy and trapfinding. Those are some further roles for specialization within the group.
Good luck!
