Dana Rebranding and Website

Dana has been a client since 2011, when we rebranded and created a new website that changed the trajectory of his business: Dana Sound Research Inc. Dana Sutcliffe is a Master Luthier, who provides the highest level of guitar/instrument repair and restoration to musicians and museums globally.

In 2011, when I first met Dana, he was one of the top luthiers in the country, but lacked professional branding and an accessible website. He provided services to local musicians out of a guitar shop, and had an amateurish logo and a flash website inaccessible to mobile phones. However, Dana had laid the groundwork for a successful web presence with a blog and an original logo, almost two decades prior — but had been steered away from it. Dana’s name was well known in the guitar community due to his success in 1992 with the Alvarez Dana Scoop electric guitar. His original logo was used on the guitar headstock and pickups and was instantly recognizable and iconic. You would not have even known that this was the same Dana — in fact, I didn’t — until after he became a client. And, as a guitarist, I was very familiar with the iconic “Dana” logomark. So, the first order of business was to reconnect him to his previous identity.

Our goal was to give Dana a professional appearance, and make him visible to the rest of the world on the internet. I proposed that we rebrand his identity using a modified version of the old, recognizable logo. After identifying the font that was used for his original logotype, I refined the typography, the overall shape, and shadow. We also restored many of his old blog posts, within a new HTML based WordPress website. The website design was intended to bring the tactile physical nature of these instruments into the digital realm by featuring tiled woodgrains. I created these graphics from actual photos I took of chunks of Rosewood and Birdseye Maple, that Dana had laying around. These graphics were incorporated into his brand identity, and have been used on the website, marketing materials, and ads.

The strategy for his site was to relate to a wide ranging audience: from acoustic musicians, metal electric guitar guys, the classic vintage group, to bluegrass banjo and mandolin players. We appealed to these different groups by targeting the very instruments they use, with several photoshoots of beautiful instruments that Dana had in his queue and that were featured at the top of the home page, along with a testimonial quote. This tactic uses the visual nature of these instruments to appeal to audiences that are separated by the nature of the different instrument. For example, a bluegrass picker sees a banjo and a testimonial and thinks: this guy is for me, I need work done on my banjo.

The website home page would serve as an all-in-one landing page, allowing a user to instantly find the contact information, understand detailed bullet points about the services, and also make an appointment through a contact form.

The first iteration of this website was launched in 2011, and has been a massive success. We have since launched several additional iterations. Since working together, Dana’s business has grown significantly. While I am awaiting final statistics, I can confidently write several statements about Dana’s growth.

• Expanded operations to an entire floor of a multiple suite studio — from originally working out of a small music shop.
• Employs a team of master and apprentice luthiers — from originally being a single-man operation.
• Clientele has grown significantly, from all over US, to many countries worldwide — from originally working only locally.
• Type of clientele has expanded, as he now works regularly with museums, and production companies.

Working with Dana has been the most rewarding relationship I have had in this business. Having a client in an industry of which I am passionate was wonderful, but witnessing how an incredible service provider can flourish when given the proper circumstances is truly meaningful. This case study is an excellent example of how a great client + great work = great success. This case was also unique in that he already had a successful identity to fall back on, and just needed the proper guidance to bring it back. To me, it was a no-brainer, but unusual to not have to design a new logo. Dana continues to be a client to this day, and we are in the process of updating his site again, to support his expanded needs for 2022.