If you’re evaluating catalog design companies, you’re probably weighing one of two paths: hire someone to design and build your catalog for you, or use a platform that lets your team do it in-house. Both are valid — it depends on your volume, timeline, and how often your catalog needs to change. Here’s what to consider either way.
What a catalog design company actually does
Scope varies a lot between providers, so it’s worth clarifying upfront what’s included. Most catalog design services offer some combination of:
- Layout and visual design for print and/or digital
- Photography direction or retouching
- Copywriting for product descriptions
- Building the interactive/digital version (shoppable links, navigation, search)
- Ongoing updates as your product line changes
Some agencies handle only the design file and hand you a PDF; others manage the full pipeline from product data to a published, interactive catalog. Get specific about which one you’re hiring for before you sign anything.
Questions worth asking before you hire
How do they handle updates? If your catalog needs seasonal refreshes or frequent price changes, ask what that turnaround looks like — and what it costs each time. A beautifully designed catalog that takes three weeks to update isn’t practical for a fast-moving product line.
Do they design for digital, or just for print? A layout built for a printed page doesn’t always translate well to mobile screens. Ask to see examples of their work as it appears on a phone, not just in a print mockup.
Who owns the files and the platform? Make sure you retain access to your design files and product data, even if the agency is managing the day-to-day publishing.
Can they integrate with your existing product data? If you’re managing hundreds of SKUs, manually re-entering product info for every catalog update gets expensive fast. Ask whether they can pull from your existing feed, spreadsheet, or PMS.
What does it cost to scale? Get a clear sense of pricing per catalog, per update, and per additional publication — not just the cost of the first project.
When hiring an agency makes sense
- You need strong custom photography or brand-specific design work
- You’re publishing infrequently and don’t have in-house design capacity
- The catalog is a major brand moment (a seasonal lookbook, a flagship launch) that justifies dedicated creative time
When building it yourself makes more sense
- You publish regularly (monthly, seasonally, or more often) and need speed over bespoke design
- You already have product photography and just need to package it well
- You want direct control over updates without going back through an agency each time
- Budget matters — self-service platforms are typically a fraction of agency project costs
This is where a tool like WePublish fits in. You can upload a catalog you’ve already designed — whether that came from an agency, your in-house team, or a template — and turn it into an interactive, shoppable catalog with clickable products, search, and performance tracking. Plans start with a 14-day free trial, and every self-service tier includes unlimited publications, so you’re not paying per catalog as your needs grow.
A middle path: professional services on a self-service platform
You don’t have to choose entirely one way or the other. Some businesses use a platform like WePublish for the publishing and interactivity, while bringing in freelance or agency design support for the layout itself — getting custom design without being locked into an agency for ongoing publishing and updates.
Making the decision
If you’re still deciding, start by mapping out how often you’ll actually need to update your catalog over the next year. Infrequent, high-stakes catalogs tend to favor an agency. Frequent, high-volume catalogs tend to favor a platform you control directly — or a hybrid of both.
Want to see what building it yourself looks like? Explore WePublish’s catalog tools or check out our guide on how to create a catalog to see the full process.
