A Catalogue of Thrillers Shouldn't Be Boring
How our publisher catalogue design agency turned a sales tool into a story
A B2B catalogue is a necessary evil. As a specialist publisher catalogue design agency, our job is to fight that assumption. We don’t just list books; we create a cohesive and immersive brand experience that’s as compelling as the novels inside. This case study details our work for the Michael Joseph crime brochure, a key sales tool for the Penguin Random House imprint.
The Challenge: A Critical Sales Tool That Felt Like a Chore
The enemy wasn't the competition; it was the profound, soul-crushing boredom of the format itself
For a major publisher, the annual crime brochure is a high-stakes weapon in the £117 million UK thriller market. The problem is that it’s usually a weapon that fires blanks. A dry list of upcoming titles that does nothing to capture the dark, atmospheric, and sophisticated tone of the books themselves. The challenge was to create a catalogue that didn’t just get glanced at, but got read.
The Fix: A Strategy of Atmosphere & Curation
We had a two-pronged plan of attack
The best work from a publisher catalogue design agency has to win two specific battles:
Defeat the 'Boring List'
The lazy approach is just a sequence of book covers. We needed to create a strong, thematic identity – a “Case Files” concept – to tie all the featured books together under a single, intriguing, and memorable umbrella.
Vanquish 'Information Overload'
The other problem is a wall of text. We had to engineer a sophisticated and easy-to-navigate layout that gave each book its own space to shine and made the key sales information brutally easy to find.
The Results: A Masterclass in B2B Publishing Design
This is what happens when a sales tool has a great plot
A Powerful & Thematic Catalogue Design
A full, 44-page catalogue was designed, united by a strong and modern “Case Files” visual identity that perfectly suited the crime genre.
A Sophisticated & Cohesive Layout System
A clean, grid-based layout was created, presenting a diverse range of titles in a way that felt curated, professional, and easy for busy industry professionals to read.
A Professional & Consistent Design
The final artwork maintained a premium look and feel that aligns with the professional standards of a global publishing leader like Penguin Michael Joseph.
Deep Dive 1: The Core Design & Composition
Waging war on the problem of the 'forgettable' sales tool
The lazy approach is a generic design with no theme. It’s a memo. Our strategic approach was a design system built around a strong, singular theme: “Case Files.” This is the key to effective publisher catalogue design. It turns a simple list of books into a story. It makes the catalogue more memorable and more engaging, which is a huge advantage when trying to capture the attention of a busy bookseller. The clean layout gave each book cover its own dedicated space, treating it like a piece of evidence. This allows each title to make an impact while feeling part of a curated, high-quality collection.
Visual Identity
The General Approach
Using a generic design with no clear campaign theme.
The Strategic Approach (Michael Joseph Crime Brochure)
A design system built around a strong, singular theme: “Case Files.” This theme is introduced on the cover and used throughout, with headings like “Evidence,” “Suspect,” and “Motive.”
The Strategic Advantage
This is the key to effective publisher catalogue design. A strong theme turns a simple list of books into a story. It makes the catalogue more memorable, more engaging, and more fun to read, which is a huge advantage when trying to capture the attention of busy booksellers.
Use of Covers
The General Approach
Simply placing book covers on a page with no order.
The Strategic Approach (Michael Joseph Crime Brochure)
A clean and organised layout that gives each book cover its own dedicated page or spread, treating it like a piece of evidence in the “Case File.”
The Strategic Advantage
This approach gives each book the space it needs to make an impact. It allows the retailer to focus on the merits of each individual title while still feeling like they are part of a curated, high-quality collection, which encourages larger and more diverse orders.
Deep Dive 2: The Flawless Information Hierarchy
Defeating the problem of the 'impenetrable wall of text'
The project went beyond aesthetics to ensure the design communicated key sales information effectively. B2B audiences are time-poor. The problem with many catalogues is dense, hard-to-read paragraphs. Our solution was a clear, consistent, and scannable information hierarchy for each book, with distinct sections for the blurb, the author, and the key sales details. It’s a simple act of respect for the reader’s time that makes the catalogue a far more effective sales tool. Crucially, the design powerfully frames the entire collection under the prestigious Penguin Michael Joseph brand, selling the strength and market leadership of the imprint as a whole. See our print design portfolio here.
Information Design
The General Approach
Presenting all information in dense, hard-to-read paragraphs.
The Strategic Approach (Michael Joseph Crime Brochure)
A clear, consistent, and scannable information hierarchy for each book, with distinct sections for the blurb, the author bio, and the key sales details (publication date, format, ISBN).
The Strategic Advantage
B2B audiences are time-poor. A clean information hierarchy is essential for a sales tool. It allows a busy bookseller or rights agent to quickly scan the page and find the exact information they need, making the catalogue a far more effective and user-friendly sales tool.
Brand Integration
The General Approach
A design that only focuses on the individual books.
The Strategic Approach (Michael Joseph Crime Brochure)
A design that powerfully frames the entire collection under the prestigious Penguin Michael Joseph brand, with a strong introduction from the Publishing Director.
The Strategic Advantage
For a major publisher, the imprint itself is a mark of quality. By creating a beautifully branded “home” for the entire crime list, the catalogue doesn’t just sell individual books; it sells the strength, quality, and market leadership of the Michael Joseph crime division as a whole.
