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Catalogues

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33 views30 pages

Catalogues

Uploaded by

komald
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Rogato Job Oburak- B02/54777/2012

Waweru Lynda- B02/0897/2012


INTRODUCTION

A catalogue is a complete list of items ,typically in


alphabetical or systematic order, in particular.
In most cases than not a catalogue is what appeals to
a person to buy a product from a firm. This makes a
catalogue so important as a connecting factor
between the consumer and the actual range of
products. As such the visual element is most
important for catalogues.
Catalogues are oriented to convey a lifestyle to the
consumer.
Auction Catalogues "sales catalogues,"
These list the lots included in any specific auction
(past, present or future). They are published, to the
tune of many thousands of new catalogues per year,
by auction houses. Of prime importance are the
numbering of lots and estimated going prices of each,
so that readers know which lots to bid on and
approximately how much money they'll have to
spend.
Catalogue Raisonnés
A catalogue raisonné covers every known work an
individual artist has ever made up to the year of the
catalogue's publication.
A standard catalogue raisonné also includes examples
of the artist's signature and/or marks, a brief
biographical piece and information on works that are
attributed to the artist. All of this makes for a large
volume, or even volumes, if the artist had a prolific
output.
Exhibition Catalogues
These are published in conjunction with temporary
exhibitions. The key word here is "temporary."
Exhibition catalogues not only contain images and
descriptions of the pieces on display, they are chock-
full of essays typically written by the exhibition's
curator and other specialists in the topic at hand.
These articles provide physical, historical and
biographical information that puts the show's theme
in context.
Collection Catalogues
These are records of all of the items in a collection. In
other words: inventory. There are not very many full
collection catalogues published; you'd need an
appliance dolly to cart around bound lists of
thousands and thousands of items. One must nearly
always be physically *at* an institution in order to
view its full collection catalogue - and this from a
computer station in the facility.
Those glossy, colourful brochures at the many Expo’s…
those are Collection Catalogues.
Of great importance in catalogues is what they convey
visually.
Anybody can design a collection catalogue, however
they are so essential that they may in fact be a lifeline
for a business.
Locally we have seen collection catalogues used to
advertise and as a means to attract a user base, but the
main function is as a “physical database” for all stock.
1) Appeal to lifestyle desires
Appeal to what makes a person buy. Sometimes
people buy to fill a need but most of the time people
buy because of want. They buy something they want
because they envision feeling better, more satisfied
after they have exchanged their hard-earned money
for the product or service you have to sell.
This image off the page of a holidays guide targets holiday goers, target that specific
lifestyle choice.
2) Design for the audience
Catalogues are tailored for different audience and
thus different types. They vary in their technical levels
ranging from very simple in detail to more technical
ones.
Catalogs for young people will have a different look
than a catalog for older folks. Make the style of your
catalog match the style desires of your audience
Doesn’t she look comfy?

To appeal to a target audience a certain ‘theme’ may be adopted in the


catalogue. In this case, Modern Woman Vs Modern Couch
3) Make the product the centerpiece
A rule of thumb in catalog design is the larger the
product photo the greater the product's sales.
It is better to show items individually or in very small,
related groups. It is better to show most products
with no background and with a subtle drop shadow.
This allows the product to stand out from the clutter
of the page.
Other than that, we could add lifestyle shots with a
subtle background to add variety to the design and
convey lifestyle moods.
Having a
centerpiece image
may not always be
the format in which
a catalogue is,
depending on the
products.

However this could


make the whole
catalogue boring. A
good example is
shown, the
catalogue is
effective but not
very visually
appealing .
4) Use great product photos
Creating a catalog is expensive and most times people
want to cut costs when possible. However perhaps the
single most important catalog element - the product
photo - tends to be the place where clients cut first
and it hurts their success every time. One can use
 Supplier supplied images
 Web images
 Shooting your own images
A great photo is "worth a thousand words" but a poor
photo can persuade a customer to not buy your
product. It would be better to show fewer products on
fewer pages to save on printing than to cut your sales
with poor photos.
Photographs capturing the best virtues are what
should ideally be used in showcasing them.
5) Put important items on the outside edges of the
page
Readers typically look to the top right first then sweep
across the page to the other side. If they don't see
something compelling they'll flip the page. Therefore
put your most appealing products on the outside top
corners. Make these elements strong - larger in size -
than the remaining products on the page spread.
The images are
strong and
capture ones
attention which
is key in
conveying the
product.
Mixing it all up
may not be as
visually
captivating.
In this image,
what product
catches your
fancy?

A clutter of
many different
products ends
up not really
conveying
much, and
hence it won’t
really serve any
purpose.
6) Use consistent type styles and limit their number
Limit the number of fonts and/or weights to 2 or 3. A
clutter of various fonts may look appealing but
perceptually, it confuses the very simple human mind.
Keep fonts to within your style and function - don't get
too fancy unless your style requires it.
Choose fonts that are easy to read and whose style
matches the lifestyle you wish to convey. Be careful with
fancy fonts.
It is easy to reduce readability, the
professional look and perhaps
translate into printing issues if the
font is low quality.
To keep a clean and consistent look, use no more
than 2 to 3 fonts throughout your catalog. Further,
keep text spacing and placement next to images
consistent. Use the same style of text consistently for
common elements such as product name, product
description, etc.
Also, type should be secondary to product photos.
Once again the product is the centerpiece and much
of that is due to the product photograph. The text
should support the reader to make a buying decision
and not take away from the impact of the photo.
7) Give products the space they need - and analyze
the results
Give your best products more space than the less
important ones.
When first designing your catalog give your items
that have a wider consumer base - more space in the
catalog than other items because the rule of thumb is
the more space a product has in the catalog the
greater the sales will be.
Of importance will be the products, thus visually showcasing them will require
adequate space to display them.
8) Keep the style consistent from issue to issue
reinforcing your "brand" image
Once a successful look has been established resist the
urge to change. The look of their catalogs and sale
promotion catalogs is easily recognizable by their
customers and has created a brand image. One
advertising rule of thumb is when you are tired of the
look of your catalog your customers are just starting
to recognize it as your look. Repetition brings brand
identity recognition and brand recognition brings
acceptance and sales.
8) Use opportunities to cross sell
Showcase a product with its accompanying items
creates context.
Suggesting companion products can increase sales
another 5-15%. Take every advantage of cross selling
in your catalog. You can do this in the product copy
or with call-outs, or by placing companion products
together on the page.
This page off an IKEA catalogue captures various bookshelf with a
couple of interesting ways to have them showcased in a room.
It is a very easy way to reach and appeal to a wide
customer base, provided they are appropriately
designed. The visual aspect ensures many people can
understand the product information.
They can be specifically tailored to reach a specific
audience. Technical levels can be adjusted to suit the
audience as well as to give appropriate information
levels.
As an occuring trend, online catalogues are becoming
more mainstream allowing access conveniently from
the comfort of your personal space.
It is only possible to feature a limited number of items
in one catalogue while achieving success in the its
purpose. Cluttering information to fit it all in would
not do any good.
We should also acknowledge that pictures are not
able to give the tangibility aspect to an object. In most
cases, one may actually have to go to the physical
object for it to fully appeal to a person.
Catalogues, being a key advertising feature may take
away from the whole aspect of experiencing products
physically which is really important for that personal
touch.

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