An Exercise in Print Design

What makes up a standard catalog? Yes, there are usually many items for sale. And there are catalogs for everything from clothing to household appliances. But a closer look at the structure of these familiar catalogs is actually a great lesson in print design. Examine a few and ask yourself: how cohesive is the page? What "treatment" does each item receive? What "pops out" and what drew me to that item? What artistic decisions were made to make that item pop? Did the item receive special attention due to its location on the page or because of a catchy graphic element? The more print design research like this that you do, the better your own work will be.