This was my main project within my time at The Hockey Shop. The intent was to outline the products we could order for local teams and businesses. We could then customize with vinyl through heat transfer and embroidery with their own custom logos and illustrations.
This catalogue was created before I had access to brand guidelines, so I informed myself as best I could with the information provided. Not having a strong hockey background, I quickly familiarized myself with the Bauer and CCM brands.
Though I appreciated some of their lifestyle shots and branding, I was not a fan of the stereotypical use of red for aggression and competition. Nor the ludicrous over exposition of product details within their catalogue. I often saw that what was important was often overshadowed with nonsensical verbiage. Since this catalogue goes first and foremost to your common person, I opted to convey the information in the style of a fashion retailer.
Though I appreciated some of their lifestyle shots and branding, I was not a fan of the stereotypical use of red for aggression and competition. Nor the ludicrous over exposition of product details within their catalogue. I often saw that what was important was often overshadowed with nonsensical verbiage. Since this catalogue goes first and foremost to your common person, I opted to convey the information in the style of a fashion retailer.
Though I did have training with InDesign, I quickly found I had only landed on the foot of a great mountain. Through much trial and error, I ultimately decided on 3 select page layouts to organize product.
I also learned how important it is to figure this step out BEFOREHAND.
I also learned how important it is to figure this step out BEFOREHAND.
In the first version, I had a idea of what I wanted for the layout, but there was a lot of inconsistency on how the information was presented. The sizing, for one, was very distracting on the 3 item layout. I also had a hard time creating space between items.
Version 2 saw the addition of tables for certain highly customizable items. I also pushed to see how many swatches I could comfortably add. I was tasked with adding both the colour and its respective name so customer and salesperson could properly communicate the exact shade they wished for.
I also added an image for the back cover that was shot at a local ice rink, along with a cover image for our 'Secondary Collection' section, which lacked one.
I also added an image for the back cover that was shot at a local ice rink, along with a cover image for our 'Secondary Collection' section, which lacked one.
Version 3 split up a single product for Kobe Jerseys and populated 2 pages worth of product on it.
Version 4 redefined the 'Game Socks' area, and since I didn't have access to a large enough image, I opted for a collage of their catalogued socks. This prompted my supervisor to pass along some images that were provided by our LAGA supplier for the next version.
A pant shell section was also included.
A pant shell section was also included.
With the newly provided cover image, and a small re-work to add pant shells and hockey pants, the catalogue was looking nearly finished. Some items were culled for newer ones, or for lack of sales. I carefully looked through all the sizing information to make sure all the writing and spacing was consistent.
This was the final version. Two subsections were added into Outerwear for Bauer and CCM. There was a irregular format used to convey the same product in two brands. The final touches were simply to do with spacing and reducing overly populated text wherever possible.
Unfortunately, before it could be printed, I was provided with a style manual at last, which meant I had to go back to the drawing board. The catalogue was also too long, so it had to be split into two.
We were looking at saddle stitching the catalogue, so I have provided mockups that nearly resemble what it would have looked like. I also took the liberty to add a Bauer stick, hockey pucks and some icy/snowy effects.
