Catalog Critiques: Making Bad Good, and Good Better

Uncommon Goods: The Friend That Knows Just What You Need Throughout history, there have been millions of catalogs designed, printed and distributed to customers around the world. So what separates the good ones from the bad ones? Here at J. Schmid, we believe the answer to that question is actually pretty simple. Every great catalog […]

Catalog Critiques: Making Bad Good, and Good Better

Filson: An American Tale There are a tremendous number of catalogs out there, spanning the arc from breathtaking all the way to ‘this could use a little work’. I wanted to take a moment and talk about “Filson”, a brand that has flirted around the peripherals of my upscale workwear interests, but that I had […]

Catalog Critiques: Making Bad Good, and Good Better

Olive & Cocoa: Draw Your Shoppers In I’m a sucker for an illustrated cover, even when I’m not in the target audience – J. Peterman, Duluth Trading Company. There’s something about the artisanship, timelessness and unique look that calls to me and makes me want to see what’s behind it.  At J.Schmid, we like to […]

Catalog Critiques: Making Bad Good, and Good Better

Duluth Trading Company It’s my turn to chime in as part of our critique series, where we assess catalogs with an eye for the “Three D’s: DISRUPT, DELIGHT and DRIVE.  Does the catalog stand out and grab my attention (Disrupt)? Does the book engage me somehow (Delight)? Does it encourage me to go online or […]

Catalog Critiques: Making Bad Good, and Good Better

Crate & Barrel, A Story of Unrequited Love I absolutely love Crate and Barrel. I love the way design meets function, in each and every one of their products. I love walking through their stores, being inspired by what could be. I love that their product designers take inspiration from around the world and bring […]

In Strategy

Knowledge-Based Creative

Part 4: The Physics of Creative What if I told you it’s possible to increase response by 5% or more? Sometimes returning to the proven foundations of effective catalog design can make that happen. Yes, the role of the catalog has changed over the last 10 years – dramatically. But what hasn’t changed is the […]