As you can see from this page, you're now on the new site. Well, you'd have to have been able to log on to the old one to do that. That said, it's not a problem... I'll tell you exactly what's changed, and what's going to change over time.
The new site: a long-awaited evolution
The situation with the old site
A new look is good, it keeps things fresh, and even if the old version wasn't necessarily ugly visually, it did have certain shortcomings. I'm going to address a few technical points here, which I'm sure you'll have noticed when using the store or blog over the last few years:
- The site was running on a CMS structure that was over 7 years old, making it a dinosaur. In other words, big, slow, inefficient and with archaic tools that required many band-aids to function.
- This structure made navigation rather laborious and slow, but above all the back-office work was torture. That's why article and product writing has really taken a beating over the last few years.
- It was impossible to upgrade the platform to new modern tools, such as the block structure used to write this article.
While I was working on solutions to launch https://www.lutherie.art, I was able to discover new ways of approaching my problem, which presented a double challenge.
The double challenge I faced
Since the creation of the company in 2019, I had anticipated that it would take several forms:
- A more personal form, which started years ago on this blog.
- A more generalist entity, born of the company's expansion over the years.
As a result, it was difficult for me to separate these two entities, as they were too closely linked to me to function independently, and there weren't enough hours in the day to really do what I wanted with them. However, thanks to an excellent team helping me at the Strasbourg workshop, I was able to take the time and step back to devote myself to this real schism.
So I planned to release the Lutherie d'Art site and launch the project, then transform my own site in the process. And it happened faster than expected, after a huge technical delay.
Technology and its problems
I'm not going to go into the technical problems that delayed the start-up. That said, it's important to understand that we do everything in-house at the company. So I take it upon myself to do most of the problem-solving. And it's not necessarily my job, even though I've been passionate about it for almost 20 years.
So the smallest pebble in the shoe can sometimes take on huge proportions. And there are still a few unsolved mysteries that I've had to get round by making some radical decisions.
That said, we've arrived at our destination safely, and despite a few unfinished business items, the bulk of the work is done.
New site management
Making the separation of the two sites a reality will also enable us to take new directions for the store and blog. In concrete terms, here's what this will mean:
- Firstly, regular reposting of articles using the new block layout tools.
- Now that the enormous work of layout has been completed, the idea would be to resume the regular publication of videos that will provide a deeper insight into all the information published on the blog and the store. At the same time, we'd like to take the blog posts from the beginning and republish them with a new layout and up-to-date information.
- On the other hand, the store will also change radically, meaning that many products will gradually disappear and end up on the Lutherie.art website. For my part, I'll be dealing only with the most specialized products, as well as vintage bows and violins (violas and cellos).
The boutique will become a collection
As previously announced, I've imagined the future boutique more as a collection, featuring only the most unique and interesting items from my collection that are available for sale.
The vast majority of pages have yet to be created, depending on how much time I have to devote to them. They will, however, be updated regularly.
On the other hand, most study instruments and beginner packs will be transferred entirely to Lutherie d'Art and will gradually disappear, along with many accessories, consumables and mass-produced equipment. I will keep some special study instruments and bows, which I will produce myself to offer you the best I can find.
I hope you like these new choices. In any case, I'll do my best to add elements that were sorely lacking in the previous version:
- Simple navigation with filters and easy searches for all product sizes and specifications.
- Detailed pages providing information on all my discoveries
- New blog topics, which will deal with Lutherie in the broadest sense, but also more personal subjects that are close to my heart. To bring you even more knowledge and tools to make your daily choices.
Just like the good old days!
To continue this adventure, I'll need you as much as ever. On the one hand, to help me develop my knowledge and my thinking by asking me your questions. To do so, you can use the contact options here.
