Uncover & Understand
Silver Water Wheel Lodge did not need help filling its calendar. Many Guests returned year after year, bringing children, grandchildren, friends, and fishing partners along with them.
Some families had been visiting for more than 30 years. In that time, the lodge had continually reinvested in its cabins, equipment, boats, and Guest experience—but its digital presence had fallen behind.
The website was outdated, unoptimized, and difficult for Guests and staff to navigate, failing to reflect the caliber of the experience SWWL prides itself in providing.
They also wanted to give their annual “brochure” a makeover. After each summer season, Guests looked forward to receiving the latest copy, filled with photos of familiar faces and trophy catches from Lac Seul. For a brochure living on coffee tables across North America, it needed a design boost.
Before And After
Ideate & Implement
The new website was designed to feel as straightforward and thoughtfully run as the lodge itself. Clear, intuitive navigation helped prospective Guests quickly understand what SWWL is, what is included, and what to expect before making the trip north. At the same time, returning Guests could easily access what they needed as well, including the lodge’s weekly fishing reports of statistics, weather, water conditions, and more.
Many Guests follow these reports closely, anticipating a new one each week. So, the posting process needed to be quick and easy for staff. We created a streamlined publishing system that allows SWWL to quickly share reports while preserving the lodge’s extensive historical archive, enabling anglers to compare year-over-year trends and prepare for future trips.
A custom live weather widget made the site even more useful for Guests studying conditions, while a “Share Your Story” feature invited longtime visitors to submit testimonials.
We built the creative direction around authenticity: real catches, real guides, and the real beauty of Lac Seul. The people, traditions, and trophy fish that make SWWL unforgettable took the lead.
The same was true for the annual brochure. Trophy catches, returning families, guide moments, lodge traditions, and scenes from the latest season on Lac Seul remained the anchor point, and we elevated the design around them.
Refine & Refresh
The finished website brought Silver Water Wheel Lodge’s digital presence up to speed. It is mobile-friendly, search-optimized, easy for Guests to navigate, and easy for staff to manage.
The technical performance was near-perfect:
After launch, SWWL received numerous emails and messages praising the clean design, intuitive layout, and easier page-to-page navigation.
The refreshed annual brochure delivered a similar payoff.
The de Novo team has been wonderful to work with. They are professional, responsive, creative, and very easy to work with. The new website was launched a week ago and it looks amazing. We have received numerous messages and emails complimenting us on the look. Many people love the updates including the options to navigate from different pages and tabs. We couldn’t be happier with the results. I would strongly recommend working de Novo Marketing.
Its updated design gave the lodge’s photography, stories, and seasonal highlights a more polished home while still capturing the moments that Guests looked forward to reliving each winter.
The Refreshingly Meaningful Part
For the families and friends who return to Silver Water Wheel Lodge year after year, the lodge is more than a fishing destination. It is a home away from home, shaped by familiar traditions, memorable catches, and time spent together on the water.
The new website gave that feeling a place to live, and Guests felt the difference almost immediately.
