The Challenge
Novo Guitars builds high-end instruments with two distinct purchasing paths:
- Off-the-shelf guitars that can be purchased directly
- Custom and semi-custom builds that require detailed configuration and review
Their existing site on Squarespace struggled to support this split cleanly and didn't match the brand in it's current state. The team wanted to migrate to Shopify to gain stronger commerce tooling, better performance, and a more modern presentation—without making the buying process confusing or fragile.
Key constraints shaped the project:
- A tight budget
- A compressed timeline
- A small internal team that needed a maintainable solution
The Approach
1. Preserve Standard Commerce Where It Works
Not every product needed customization—and forcing all orders through a complex flow would have created unnecessary friction.
Off-the-shelf guitars were implemented using Shopify’s native product and checkout experience, keeping the path to purchase fast, familiar, and reliable.
This ensured:
- A clean buying experience for ready-to-ship instruments
- No added complexity for inventory or fulfillment
- Maximum use of Shopify’s strengths
2. Isolate Complexity for Custom Orders
For custom and semi-custom builds, the challenge wasn’t just collecting information—it was doing so without overwhelming the customer.
Rather than embedding a massive form into the product page, I introduced Typeform as a dedicated custom-order workflow.
This allowed us to:
- Present configuration questions one at a time (often ~20 questions total)
- Give clients visual examples to make more informed decisions
- Reduce cognitive load for customers
- Collect structured, readable data for the Novo team
- Keep Shopify focused on commerce, not form logic
Custom orders became a guided experience, while standard products stayed fast and transactional.
3. Theme Selection Over Custom Builds
Given the constraints—and the fact that I was operating as a one-person team—the strategy was to choose a Shopify theme that already aligned closely with Novo’s brand.
Customization was intentionally minimal:
- Layout and styling adjustments where necessary
- No deep structural rewrites
- No fragile custom systems to maintain
Keeping the theme close to stock ensured long-term usability for the client and avoided unnecessary technical debt.
The Outcome
- Successfully migrated Novo Guitars from Squarespace to Shopify
- Delivered a modern, performant storefront aligned with the brand
- Supported both off-the-shelf purchases and complex custom orders
- Introduced a scalable, client-friendly custom order intake system
- Met tight budget and timeline constraints without sacrificing quality
The result was a flexible storefront that respects how customers actually buy—whether they’re ready to purchase immediately or planning a fully custom instrument.
Why This Project Matters
This work wasn’t about building the most complex solution possible—it was about placing complexity exactly where it belonged.
By:
- Leveraging Shopify’s native strengths
- Isolating custom logic instead of spreading it everywhere
- Designing for long-term maintenance, not just launch day
The site became easier to use, easier to manage, and easier to evolve.
That balance—between craft, restraint, and real-world constraints—is what made the project successful.
