Hansgrohe Price Book

Building the Price Book: A Strategic Resource for B2B Success

PROJECT ROLES

Project Management // Art Direction // Graphic Design // Brand Strategy

Identifying user needs

Imagine a kitchen and bath showroom, bustling with designers, sales reps, and customers. In this fast-paced environment, decisions hinge on having the right information at the right time.

The price book is more than a catalog; it’s the backbone of these transactions — a single resource that answers questions, closes deals, and bridges the gap between idea and installation.

Creating this resource, however, is no small feat. It’s a marathon of collaboration, precision, and adaptability. Over the years, I had the privilege of leading the charge to ensure this vital tool met the needs of thousands of users while evolving to keep pace with a changing industry.

The Challenge

Each year, the challenge began the same way: a blank canvas and a mountain of expectations.

The price book needed to provide:

  • Accurate pricing for every product in the company’s extensive assortment.

  • Visual appeal through detailed product imagery.

  • Practicality by including technical specs, installation requirements, and industry-regulated information.

  • Clarity on consumer benefits, design features, and available colors.

The stakes were high—this wasn’t just a tool for showroom salespeople but a resource used by plumbing supply distributors, architects, interior designers, plumbers, sales reps, and customer service agents. Each stakeholder had unique requirements, and the final deliverable had to meet them all seamlessly.

But creating the price book wasn’t just about gathering information. It was about navigating an intricate web of changing priorities, regulatory updates, and feedback—all while managing tight schedules and maintaining high standards.

The Process: From Chaos to Clarity

Kickoff and Alignment:

The journey began with a deep dive into the prior year’s price book. What worked? What didn’t? Every piece of feedback—whether from a sales rep in the field or a distributor’s customer service desk—shaped the vision for the next edition. This retrospective became the foundation for success, allowing us to address pain points head-on and build on past successes.

Collaborative Execution:

As the project’s creative lead and art director, I owned the design and layout of the book, ensuring it was visually engaging and easy to navigate. But in 2020, my role expanded to include project management. This meant I was responsible not only for creative excellence but also for keeping the project on track. I worked closely with executive leadership, product management, sales, marketing, and production teams to align strategies and coordinate deliverables.

Adaptation Through Iteration:

The process was anything but static. Industry regulations shifted, internal priorities changed, and feedback from users poured in. Each challenge required a nimble response, from updating compliance standards to refining the book’s structure based on user insights. By taking an iterative approach, we turned obstacles into opportunities for improvement.

Delivering the Final Product:

Traditionally, the price book was printed and mailed to thousands of customers. But as user needs evolved, so did the format. In addition to the printed version, we introduced:

  • A digital PDF for online accessibility.

  • Interactive flip book version, adding a layer of engagement to the brand experience.

Each format was delivered on schedule, ensuring that sales teams and customers had the resources they needed by Q1.

The Result: A Tool That Delivers Business Value

Each year, we delivered over 11,000 printed price books to customers, while simultaneously launching digital versions. This wasn’t just about hitting deadlines—it was about delivering a resource that empowered stakeholders to succeed.

The impact extended beyond the deliverable itself. By focusing on iterative improvement, we:

  • Enhanced the usability and functionality of the price book year after year.

  • Strengthened collaboration across departments, aligning the price book with broader business goals.

  • Elevated the brand experience, supporting the positioning of the company as a leader in the bath and kitchen industry.

Key Reflections & Takeaways

Looking back, the price book project was more than a design challenge—it was a lesson in adaptability, collaboration, and user-centric thinking. Each year brought new complexities, but by listening to stakeholders and embracing iteration, we transformed those complexities into opportunities for growth.

The key to our success was never losing sight of the end goal: empowering our users. Whether it was a showroom salesperson explaining the benefits of a faucet or an architect finalizing specs for a project, the price book became their trusted tool—a testament to the power of thoughtful design and effective teamwork.

For me, it wasn’t just about creating a resource; it was about building a bridge between the brand and its users—one page at a time.

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