The Gretsch Standard:
A Design Chronicle of Heritage and Flexibility
The Gretsch Standard:
A Design Chronicle of Heritage and Flexibility
PROJECT TOOLKIT:
Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Drupal, HTML, CSS, Javascript
PROJECT TOOLKIT:
Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Drupal, HTML, CSS, Javascript
SEEING THE SOUND
Final Pages
SEEING THE SOUND
Final Pages
The final design successfully blends the recognizable Gretsch identity (bold color palette and classic typography) with premium, immersive visual storytelling.
The final design successfully blends the recognizable Gretsch identity (bold color palette and classic typography) with premium, immersive visual storytelling.
The Home Page: A Time-Honored Welcome
The hero section immediately invokes legacy, leading the user to feel they are not just entering a website, but a dedicated repository of musical excellence. We use classic, high-contrast black/orange/white brand elements to establish immediate trust and recognition, guiding the user to the major product families.
The Home Page: A Time-Honored Welcome
The hero section immediately invokes legacy, leading the user to feel they are not just entering a website, but a dedicated repository of musical excellence. We use classic, high-contrast black/orange/white brand elements to establish immediate trust and recognition, guiding the user to the major product families.
The Product Line Overview
The Product Line Overview
This hub is designed to feel like exploring a storied collection. Each major series is presented with museum-quality photography and a concise narrative hook that teases its unique chapter in the Gretsch story, respecting the individual spirit of each drum.
This hub is designed to feel like exploring a storied collection. Each major series is presented with museum-quality photography and a concise narrative hook that teases its unique chapter in the Gretsch story, respecting the individual spirit of each drum.
The Flexible Product Detail Page
The Flexible Product Detail Page
To meet the requirement for product-specific customization, the Product Detail Page uses a modular system tailored to deep user configuration, reflecting the high-end, build-to-order nature of the USA Custom line.
To meet the requirement for product-specific customization, the Product Detail Page uses a modular system tailored to deep user configuration, reflecting the high-end, build-to-order nature of the USA Custom line.
Fostering Community
Fostering Community
The website is structured as a dynamic hub to connect drummers to the brand's cultural relevance, extending beyond product specifications:
Artist Pages: Showcasing the diverse roster of featured Gretsch drummers through professional photography and interviews to validate product quality and inspire users.
Event Integration: Prominently featuring seasonal events (clinics, festivals) to shift the site from a static catalog to an active community resource, driving real-world connection.
The website is structured as a dynamic hub to connect drummers to the brand's cultural relevance, extending beyond product specifications:
Artist Pages: Showcasing the diverse roster of featured Gretsch drummers through professional photography and interviews to validate product quality and inspire users.
Event Integration: Prominently featuring seasonal events (clinics, festivals) to shift the site from a static catalog to an active community resource, driving real-world connection.
The Gretsch History Page: An Archival Resource
The Gretsch History Page: An Archival Resource
This page serves as the emotional and educational anchor of the site, translating 140 years of heritage into a comprehensive archival experience. It goes beyond a simple timeline, featuring:
Chronological Navigation: A filterable year-by-year navigation bar for exploring specific eras.
Deep Dive Artifacts: Dedicated sections highlighting key historical elements, such as Gretsch Badges, with high-resolution photography and narratives explaining their significance and change over time.
Media Integration: Embedded historical videos and visual storytelling to immerse the user.
Vintage Library: A highly engaging gallery of vintage Gretsch catalogs and artist advertisements, allowing drummers to browse historical resources and connect directly with the brand's past.
This approach ensures the brand’s story is not just a static text block but a compelling journey through its rich, documented past for both new and long-time enthusiasts.
This page serves as the emotional and educational anchor of the site, translating 140 years of heritage into a comprehensive archival experience. It goes beyond a simple timeline, featuring:
Chronological Navigation: A filterable year-by-year navigation bar for exploring specific eras.
Deep Dive Artifacts: Dedicated sections highlighting key historical elements, such as Gretsch Badges, with high-resolution photography and narratives explaining their significance and change over time.
Media Integration: Embedded historical videos and visual storytelling to immerse the user.
Vintage Library: A highly engaging gallery of vintage Gretsch catalogs and artist advertisements, allowing drummers to browse historical resources and connect directly with the brand's past.
This approach ensures the brand’s story is not just a static text block but a compelling journey through its rich, documented past for both new and long-time enthusiasts.
TRANSLATING LEGACY INTO EXPERIENCE
OVERVIEW
TRANSLATING LEGACY INTO EXPERIENCE
OVERVIEW
Gretsch Drums stands as a monumental figure in musical history, celebrated as "That Great Gretsch Sound." Our objective was to redesign the brand’s digital experience to reflect its rich heritage, dating back to 1883 while providing a modern, seamless and functional platform for drummers worldwide.
This project was a deep collaboration with the Gretsch Brand Manager, requiring strict adherence to established corporate branding (typography, color scheme) but demanding dynamic flexibility on a per-product basis to highlight the unique, compelling story of each drum line.
Gretsch Drums stands as a monumental figure in musical history, celebrated as "That Great Gretsch Sound." Our objective was to redesign the brand’s digital experience to reflect its rich heritage, dating back to 1883 while providing a modern, seamless and functional platform for drummers worldwide.
This project was a deep collaboration with the Gretsch Brand Manager, requiring strict adherence to established corporate branding (typography, color scheme) but demanding dynamic flexibility on a per-product basis to highlight the unique, compelling story of each drum line.
Brand: Gretsch Drums
Role: UX Designer and Web Developer
Collaboration with: Brand Manager
Brand: Gretsch Drums
Role: UX Designer and Web Developer
Collaboration with: Brand Manager
Challenge
Integrating 140+ years of history with modern e-commerce requirements under strict visual guidelines.
Solution
A standardized, heritage-anchored framework that allows for flexible, product-specific storytelling.
Challenge
Integrating 140+ years of history with modern e-commerce requirements under strict visual guidelines.
Solution
A standardized, heritage-anchored framework that allows for flexible, product-specific storytelling.
STRUCTURING THE LEGACY
Information Architecture
STRUCTURING THE LEGACY
Information Architecture
The primary goal of the Information Architecture (IA) was to create a navigation system that clearly separates commerce from culture, ensuring that both transactional users (looking to buy) and archival users (looking to learn) can find their path easily.
The primary goal of the Information Architecture (IA) was to create a navigation system that clearly separates commerce from culture, ensuring that both transactional users (looking to buy) and archival users (looking to learn) can find their path easily.
BRAND STYLE GUIDE
Adherence and Constraint
BRAND STYLE GUIDE
Adherence and Constraint
The project operated under a strict corporate style mandate concerning primary branding elements. This constraint was managed in collaboration with the Brand Manager and was treated as a fundamental design constant:
Color Palette: Strict adherence to the official Gretsch colors (primarily the iconic Orange, Black, and White), limiting the use of secondary colors to maintain brand recognition and premium feel.
Typography: All typographic use was restricted to the approved Gretsch font families for both display and body text, ensuring visual consistency with established marketing materials.
The project operated under a strict corporate style mandate concerning primary branding elements. This constraint was managed in collaboration with the Brand Manager and was treated as a fundamental design constant:
Color Palette: Strict adherence to the official Gretsch colors (primarily the iconic Orange, Black, and White), limiting the use of secondary colors to maintain brand recognition and premium feel.
Typography: All typographic use was restricted to the approved Gretsch font families for both display and body text, ensuring visual consistency with established marketing materials.
FINDING THE BEAT
Early Layout Concepts
FINDING THE BEAT
Early Layout Concepts
The final design was a synthesis of two initial, necessary, but ultimately incomplete approaches.
The final design was a synthesis of two initial, necessary, but ultimately incomplete approaches.
Concept 1: The Product Focus
Focus: Establishing a clear, responsive visual hierarchy centered on a large, high-quality product image and a distinct product line name.
Rationale: To confirm fundamental responsive design principles and test the feasibility of unique, background-driven branding for each product line right from the homepage carousel.
Outcome: This concept successfully established the core layout and validated the use of a customizable background image/slider to differentiate product lines, but it was too minimal and required more historical and lifestyle context.
Concept 1: The Product Focus
Focus: Establishing a clear, responsive visual hierarchy centered on a large, high-quality product image and a distinct product line name.
Rationale: To confirm fundamental responsive design principles and test the feasibility of unique, background-driven branding for each product line right from the homepage carousel.
Outcome: This concept successfully established the core layout and validated the use of a customizable background image/slider to differentiate product lines, but it was too minimal and required more historical and lifestyle context.
Concept 2: The Interactive Gateway
Focus: Developing a rich, interactive landing page that serves as a central hub for various content types, including an animated full-screen slider, dedicated sections for news, distinct product series links, and embedded video content.
Rationale: To explore how a more dynamic and content-rich homepage could immediately engage users with the breadth of the Gretsch experience—from product lines to brand storytelling—while maintaining responsive adaptability. This concept emphasized immediate access to diverse content.
Outcome: This iteration revealed the potential for a highly engaging, multi-faceted homepage experience, but it also highlighted the challenge of balancing content density with navigational clarity, leading to the refined approach in the final design.
Concept 2: The Interactive Gateway
Focus: Developing a rich, interactive landing page that serves as a central hub for various content types, including an animated full-screen slider, dedicated sections for news, distinct product series links, and embedded video content.
Rationale: To explore how a more dynamic and content-rich homepage could immediately engage users with the breadth of the Gretsch experience—from product lines to brand storytelling—while maintaining responsive adaptability. This concept emphasized immediate access to diverse content.
Outcome: This iteration revealed the potential for a highly engaging, multi-faceted homepage experience, but it also highlighted the challenge of balancing content density with navigational clarity, leading to the refined approach in the final design.
The Final Approach: Heritage in Motion
The final design successfully merges strict branding with premium media to achieve its narrative goals. The Brand Manager’s required visual constraints (colors, approved typography) act as the unifying, classic design frame, while dynamic elements such as full-width hero images, embedded video modules, and community graphics are placed within highly flexible inner content blocks to tell the deep, specific story of each drum line. This approach ensures the design is anchored by history but powered by modern, immersive functionality.
The Final Approach: Heritage in Motion
The final design successfully merges strict branding with premium media to achieve its narrative goals. The Brand Manager’s required visual constraints (colors, approved typography) act as the unifying, classic design frame, while dynamic elements such as full-width hero images, embedded video modules, and community graphics are placed within highly flexible inner content blocks to tell the deep, specific story of each drum line. This approach ensures the design is anchored by history but powered by modern, immersive functionality.
A SOUND DECISION
The Narrative
A SOUND DECISION
The Narrative
The Constraint as a Foundation, Not a Limitation
We didn't view the rigid branding rules as obstacles, but as the very foundation of the Gretsch identity.
The Constraint as a Foundation, Not a Limitation
We didn't view the rigid branding rules as obstacles, but as the very foundation of the Gretsch identity.
In the analog world, the 'Great Gretsch Sound' is reliable and recognizable. In the digital world, the strict, classic branding acts like its visual equivalent: unmistakable, reliable, and classic. We built immediate trust by adhering to the visual signature that millions of drummers have grown up with, proving quality doesn't need trend chasing.
In the analog world, the 'Great Gretsch Sound' is reliable and recognizable. In the digital world, the strict, classic branding acts like its visual equivalent: unmistakable, reliable, and classic. We built immediate trust by adhering to the visual signature that millions of drummers have grown up with, proving quality doesn't need trend chasing.
Tailoring the User Journey to the Product Story
The most complex requirement was the need for unique product pages. Our solution was to create a modular, story-first structure.
Tailoring the User Journey to the Product Story
The most complex requirement was the need for unique product pages. Our solution was to create a modular, story-first structure.
Every Gretsch kit has a purpose, a legend, and a distinct build philosophy, from the vintage feel of the Broadkaster to the power of the Renown. Our design strategy gave the Brand Manager the tools to customize the primary content zone for each product line. This ensures a drummer interested in a vintage-style kit is instantly immersed in the proper historical context, while a modern player gets rapid access to the dynamic specs they need, all within the trusted Gretsch environment.
Every Gretsch kit has a purpose, a legend, and a distinct build philosophy, from the vintage feel of the Broadkaster to the power of the Renown. Our design strategy gave the Brand Manager the tools to customize the primary content zone for each product line. This ensures a drummer interested in a vintage-style kit is instantly immersed in the proper historical context, while a modern player gets rapid access to the dynamic specs they need, all within the trusted Gretsch environment.
THE CODA: MEASURING THE RHYTHM'S IMPACT
Impact & Conclusion
THE CODA: MEASURING THE RHYTHM'S IMPACT
Impact & Conclusion
The new Latin Percussion website isn't just a place to buy instruments; it's a digital destination that successfully embodies the passion and excitement of the brand.
By strategically building a stable foundation (the Clave) using a powerful CMS (Drupal) and layering a design ethos centered on dynamic engagement and intuitive flow, we created a platform that is:
Compelling: The brand’s energetic identity is now faithfully and vibrantly represented.
Functional: Successfully launched US e-commerce, opening a critical new revenue stream while managing global dealer redirection.
Scalable: Equipped the LP team with the tools to manage an ever-evolving, dynamic content calendar.
It’s a website that doesn't just hold the beat—it invites users to join the band and feel the rhythm.
The new Latin Percussion website isn't just a place to buy instruments; it's a digital destination that successfully embodies the passion and excitement of the brand.
By strategically building a stable foundation (the Clave) using a powerful CMS (Drupal) and layering a design ethos centered on dynamic engagement and intuitive flow, we created a platform that is:
Compelling: The brand’s energetic identity is now faithfully and vibrantly represented.
Functional: Successfully launched US e-commerce, opening a critical new revenue stream while managing global dealer redirection.
Scalable: Equipped the LP team with the tools to manage an ever-evolving, dynamic content calendar.
It’s a website that doesn't just hold the beat—it invites users to join the band and feel the rhythm.
© 2025. All Rights Reserved.
All work for hire projects belong to their respective companies.
© 2025. All Rights Reserved.
All work for hire projects belong to their respective companies.
© 2025. All Rights Reserved.
All work for hire projects belong to their respective companies.