Chicagoland

Newspaper’s new look part of larger archdiocesan plan

By Joyce Duriga | Editor
Saturday, January 14, 2017

Things look a little different with this copy of the Archdiocese of Chicago’s newspaper. We have a new look and have returned to the name Chicago Catholic, which we used back when Cardinal Cody was archbishop of Chicago. But it isn’t just the newspaper that is getting a fresh design.

The new look for the Archdiocese of Chicago’s newspapers — Chicago Catholic and Catolico — is part of a larger visual identity plan for the entire archdiocese intended to make the church more accessible to its people and the public and also to streamline the look of agencies and offices.

In 2016, the archdiocese hired Crosby Associates to evaluate communications materials used in archdiocesan offices. They also evaluated archdiocesan-related websites. What they found was a hodgepodge of designs and materials often with no clear indication that they were part of the archdiocese.

Crosby set out to streamline the archdiocese’s graphics and visual identity beginning with a simpler, bolder archdiocesan coat of arms. The previous coat of arms was complex and hard to reproduce in smaller sizes, said Bart Crosby of Crosby Associates.

“This new coat of arms is more contemporary and accessible to wider audiences, especially young people,” Crosby said.

The agency created a logo type to be used along with the logo. They also put together a complete branding program to be used across the archdiocese that provides templates for items such as stationary, business cards, pamphlets and PowerPoint presentations. In the coming months, staff will be trained in how to produce the new materials.

Some larger agencies, such as Catholic Charities and Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, are exempt from the changes.

One of the biggest undertakings was www.archchicago.org, the archdiocesan website. During its evaluations, Crosby Associates found over 100 websites for archdiocesan programs and agencies, most of which had different looks and no clear link to the archdiocese. A newly designed and restructured website was unveiled on Jan. 4. It is structured to be more intuitive and focused on the visitor as opposed to the institutional structure, Crosby said.

The process to convert all of the websites to the new look is ongoing. Some will be eliminated entirely. Chicago Catholic’s website will be included in this process.

The new visual identity process and the occasion of the newspaper’s 125th anniversary provided an opportunity to make some changes to the newspaper beyond the design. Our new name is not really new, as some readers may remember.

The New World launched Sept. 10, 1892, and took its title from the 1893 World’s Fair, held in Chicago to mark the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ arrival in the New World.

Under Cardinal Cody, the paper became the Chicago Catholic, but reverted to the New World under Cardinal Bernardin (Cardinal George added the “Catholic”).

With this issue come some other changes. The dimensions of the paper are different. We are now the same size as several other local papers, such as the Sun-Times and the Reader.

We have also added new regular contributors, including Jesuit Father James Keenan, an ethicist at Boston College; Don Wycliff, a former editorial board member of the Chicago Tribune and The New York Times; and Kerry Robinson, executive director of the National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management. They will join existing columnists Passionist Father Donald Senior, Christopher Lamb, Bishop Robert Barron, Msgr. Michael Boland, Michelle Martin and Cardinal Cupich.

We are also changing how often we publish the print edition. Since 2000, we have published every two weeks, which meant that two months a year we put out three issues. Now we will publish twice a month. All subscriptions will be extended to cover this reduction.

In between publication dates we will have additional news on our website, www.chicagocatholic.com. In the coming months that website will be updated to reflect the new look of the newspaper.

Topics:

  • communications
  • crosby associates

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