Client: Carruthers Violins
Location: Santa Rosa, CA
Website: andrewcarruthers.com
Project: website rebuild
An image forward design highlights the beauty and craftsmanship of Andy’s work. Instrument galleries give potential buyers a first look of his instruments. The news blog is not only a valuable resource for the violinmaker community (and great for SEO), it also allows site visitors to feel they know Andy on a personal level.
Rebuilding a site starts with analyzing and discussing the existing site with the client, identifying what to keep and what can be improved.
What struck me most about Andy’s old site was that the pictures were small. Given the proliferation of large and pixel-dense screens, as well as rapid internet speeds, it was time to showcase his beautiful instruments to potential buyers with a portfolio containing large hi-quality photos.
This was one of the larger websites I had done to that point. I learned about taming wild portfolios, troubleshooting frustrating plug-in interactions, and methods for streamlining processes and keeping files organized- imperative when working with the large amount of content between the old site and new. I also learned more about the violinmaking and selling business than I ever thought I would – enough intrigue for a Coppola trilogy.
Diabla Design was later hired to build a companion website, Violinalia.com, selling Andy’s edgy and humorous violin themed tshirts and other products.