Chicagoland

Chicago Catholic launches new website

By Michelle Martin | Staff writer
Thursday, July 13, 2017

The new Chicago Catholic website launched July 6. It’s designed to make it easier for readers to navigate and find the stories they want to read and the information needed on both desktop and mobile platforms.

The website, at chicagocatholic.com, is more consistent with both the print edition of Chicago Catholic and the Archdiocese of Chicago’s overall brand identity, said Gosia Sobus of Crosby Associates.

The archdiocese hired Crosby in 2016 to evaluate the archdiocese’s communications materials and create the streamlined brand identity that is now in use.

“The new site is also responsive, meaning it can be easily viewed on all devices including mobile phones and tablets,” Sobus said. “The layout is more linear, with a clear grid that presents stories in rows, rather than in random boxes, making it easier to navigate and to find items.”

Thirdwave LLC worked with archdiocesan staff and Crosby to build the site to the new design standards included several new features.

“The newly designed Chicago Catholic website brings the publication into a modern digital setting that is well-positioned to enable a rich and diverse user experience for Chicago Catholic readers,” said Orin Fink, Thirdwave’s chief technology officer.

Readers will find the most recent stories highlighted at the top of the page and bigger photos to draw them into the stories. Other new features include trending topics, related articles and a site-specific search.

The site uses larger type and the same font as other archdiocesan materials to enhance readability.

“The site is organized in a very intentional way that makes finding articles a seamless process,” said Nadia Bajwa, developer and project manager for Thirdwave. “A user can navigate to their favorite columnist’s articles or the current issue with one simple click.”

The new site is also easier for Chicago Catholic staff to update, allowing for new content to be added more frequently.

The new site launched six months after the debut of the redesigned Chicago Catholic newspaper, which was also part of the visual-identity program. The redesign 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.

Topics:

  • chicago catholic

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