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Product Catalogs in the Face of Digitalization

Digitalization is currently changing work tasks and environments, the availability of professional media and formats and their integration into working routines in the manufacturing industries. This case study investigates the current role of print product catalogs in the metal cutting industry with a multi-method approach combining explorative semi-structured interviews with online surveys. Results show that printed catalogs are still demanded by certain user types, for specific work tasks, and situations. The most important requirements toward print catalogs are content-related. Others are presentation-related or refer to material characteristics. Personal (age, work task) as well as context factors (company size, industry branch) have an impact on user requirements toward product catalogs. Despite the continuing demand for print catalogs, the trend is toward (additional) modularized electronic formats (online shops) that merge different usage purposes, content and contexts whereby new requirements and challenges for technical communicators emerge.