Catalogs and books of all kinds are complex and demanding projects. Unlike most other printed matter, many of them are made to be opened many times or to decorate a library for years! Their value at those cases is a function of their desired endurance and, more generally, of their relation to time...
The materials and means of production choices, according to the required life period and durability, the number of copies and of course the available budget resources are primary factors for their design.
In any case -and regardless of the above- the design goal is to highlight some specific content. Whether it is about a catalog for consumer goods or a catalog for artwork, a café/restaurant menu, a literary, scientific or other book, it is necessary to study the subject, an aesthetic approach to reflect a style that suits the content and care of production, so that the reader to get the most, the cost be kept to a minimum and ultimately to meet the expectations raised of Creating your print, beyond time!