How to organise content for a large product catalogue

A large product catalogue needs a content system before it needs more files. The system should connect each approved asset to the correct product, variant and placement, and make missing work visible. Without that structure, a busy shoot can produce a large folder that is still difficult to use.

Begin with a product register and a repeatable view sequence. Separate the decisions shared by the whole range from the exceptions that need special treatment. This lets the team work consistently without forcing every item through a process that does not fit it.

The objective is a complete, maintainable catalogue. The number of images captured is useful production information, but it does not tell you whether the store has the right approved image for each product a customer can buy.

Build the product register first

Use the store's stable product and variant identifiers wherever possible. Record the approved name, category, relevant attributes and sample status. A production nickname can be helpful on set, but it should not become the only link between the image and the product record.

Add the views and formats required for each item. Mark whether a view is product-specific, variant-specific or shared across a group. This prevents the team from treating a shared lifestyle frame as though it resolves an identifying view for every colour or size.

Keep changes to the register visible. If a variant is added, renamed or removed during production, record the change and its consequences for the assets. The catalogue team should not discover those differences while uploading the final files.

Agree a repeatable visual standard

Create a small test set before producing the full range. Review product size within the frame, background, angles, colour treatment and the level of detail. Show the images in the intended store layout to check that they read as a coherent catalogue.

Define the shared standard in practical terms. The production team needs to know what stays consistent and when the object justifies an adjustment. A flat rule about using one camera angle for every item may be inappropriate when the range contains different shapes or important features.

Include the export requirements in the standard. Agree the sizes, file formats and naming with the team using the content. This avoids a second round of manual preparation after the products have already been approved and the production set has been dismantled.

Group the work by sensible production blocks

Arrange the shoot around treatments that can be repeated effectively. Similar materials, dimensions or view requirements may belong in one block. A product with a different finish or a special use scene may need a separate block even if it sits beside the others in the store.

Record the planned order and the available samples. Some items may require opening, assembly or handling that changes their condition. Schedule the clean views and the use views deliberately so the process does not sacrifice one requirement to complete another.

Use a live completion record during production. Mark the item and view that have actually been covered, not only the group that was scheduled. A checklist at this level makes missing details easier to catch while the relevant products and setup are still available.

Distinguish production completion from approval

An item can be captured but not yet approved. Keep those statuses separate. The first records what happened on set; the second records whether the selected and finished assets are ready for use. Combining them can make a catalogue look complete before its final images have been reviewed.

Consolidate feedback by product identifier and asset version. A reviewer should be able to point to the exact view needing correction. Comments such as fix the green one become unreliable when several items have a similar colour or the filenames change between rounds.

The Prima case study records a final product set across a flavour range, including pouches, cut-open wafers and the full collection. It is a useful example of related views serving different information jobs. The relevant lesson is the structure of the set, not a claim that every catalogue should have the same number of assets.

Hand assets over with a usable mapping

Provide a delivery sheet connecting the approved asset to its product, variant and intended sequence. Keep final exports separate from working selections and review versions. A store team should not need to recreate the production team's knowledge to choose the correct file.

For a Kuwait catalogue in Arabic and English, use stable identifiers across languages. Product names may change through translation or editorial review, but the asset relationship should remain clear. Check that the same variant is shown when the customer switches languages or selects another option.

• Identify the product and variant.
• Name the approved asset version.
• Record the view and its sequence position.
• List the supplied export formats.
• Flag any missing asset or unresolved product change.

Include enough context for future maintenance. If several variants share a view, state that relationship explicitly. Otherwise a later editor may duplicate files unnecessarily or remove an image that still serves other product records.

Maintain the catalogue as products change

Choose an owner for the product-to-asset mapping. When packaging, colours or included components change, that person should review whether the existing images still describe the item accurately. Updating a product name does not automatically update the visual content.

Keep an archive of superseded assets and a clear folder for current approved exports. The team needs to preserve the record without leaving old images beside new files that look equally ready to publish. A recoverable archive is more useful than either uncontrolled duplication or irreversible deletion.

Schedule catalogue checks around meaningful changes, such as a new range or a packaging update. Look for missing views, wrong variant associations and inconsistent treatment. This keeps the system useful after the initial production project has finished.

A simple product-to-asset record

A product-to-asset record can have one row for each required view, with the product identifier, variant, filename, revision, approval status and intended placement. Mark a shared view explicitly so its relationship with several products remains understandable. Give missing work a visible status instead of leaving an empty cell that could be mistaken for an optional requirement.

As the first group of items is completed, ask the store team to upload a representative sample using that record. Check whether the images reach the correct products and appear in the right sequence. Resolve any ambiguity before the rest of the range is handed over. This small test checks the delivery system as well as the files. The bilingual product-page review adds useful checks where the catalogue is maintained in two languages.

Frequently asked questions

Is a folder for each product enough?

It helps, but the team also needs stable identifiers, approval status and a record of which file belongs in each placement. Folders alone cannot explain shared views or unresolved changes.

Should every product use identical compositions?

Shared standards create consistency, but different shapes and features can justify different views. Define the standard around the information the customer needs, then document sensible exceptions.

What happens when a product arrives after the main shoot?

Add it to the register with the missing requirements visible. Use the approved test set and production notes as references, then review the new assets beside the existing range before completing the handoff.

Bricks plans content, photo and video production as a delivery system as well as a creative project. A large catalogue is easier to manage when product records, visual standards and approvals are connected from the start.