Catalog Database Production
In 2013, we moved to create the catalog by using a database import into the page layouts in InDesign. This reduced the time to create and print the catalog by 30%, saving the company money. The release of the catalogs increased sales by 25-30%. I was able to do this by utilizing a plugin in InDesign called EZCatalog to build the catalog using templates. EZCatalog would hold the product data, including pricing, case quantity, sku numbers, upc codes, dimensions, and more. This information was then used to produce the page layouts based on templates. The pages were easily updated as the product data changed. Since the layout was all in InDesign, anything could be modified as needed. This information was fed directly to the websites, saving time by being able to update in one place.
Created an infographic for the 20 reasons why customers should do business with Sunlight. I created eye-catching, easy-to-read visual representations for conversions and measurements. Added informational explanations for logo certifications throughout the catalog.
Here are the 40 plus brands that Sunlight Supply supported. I worked closely with the executive team, category/sourcing team, and design team to create and populate 30 plus brands in 2-year time frame.
Catalog Covers
Catalog cover designs through the years for Sunlight Supply, Inc. Most are for the Hydroponic Gardening side of the business. One cover is for the Aquarium division.
Here are two other types of catalogs that were created for slightly different target audiences. We expanded into garden centers and created a targeted product offering specific to their business. We also created a Brand catalog featuring our product brands for sale in other industries. This catalog was created in-house using our high-capacity copier that could perfect bind the catalog.
Catalog COver Process
Catalog creative process for the 2015 dealer catalog cover. Since it was our 20-year anniversary, we asked our customers to submit photos to be used for the catalog cover. All covers were customer-provided photos. The final concept we chose had all customer photos used. We felt it was important to show all since they were the reason we were still in business. It was a play off of Polaroid photos from each customer for the final cover.
Creative process for the 2013 dealer catalog cover. Each concept I tried to show very different ideas. The final idea was to tell the story of growing indoors through all four seasons of the year. Each window pane shows an image of each of the four seasons with the pepper plants in the foreground.
Page Layouts
Here are pages from the Aquarium catalog that I created using Adobe InDesign. Each section has a die-cut tab divider with a colorful coral image to divide the types of products. I created display informational pages and product pages that included dimensions, upc, dealer pricing, and manufacturer suggested retail pricing. Please note that I have blurred the dealer pricing.
This is from the 2010-2012 catalogs page layouts. Sunlight Supply utilized a vendor to create a custom template web-based system to create our catalog. We put the information into the web-based database, and the pages were created with templates. This method became problematic because it was not connected to the company's business ERP system, and there was not enough flexibility to change the design. I created all the advertisements to fill empty pages. The catalog die-cut tab sections were created in InDesign. Each colored tab separated the product category.
