Does your catalog need a ‘pretty’ prescription? Maybe not.

By Susan McIntyre

Vermont Country Store’s newsprint paper, line drawings and simple photos expertly convey small-town, general store charm; old-fashioned function; and family-run friendliness. It does so ... well ... beautifully. In fact, gallery-style beauty would be wrong for the brand.

Duluth Trading’s big, often humorous headlines and clear, function-oriented illustrations convey the sense that a team of knowledgeable, down-to-earth workmen developed these practical products for customers like them. “We understand your working needs and problems” comes across just right without any gallery-style beauty that would, again, be wrong for the brand.