When the Catholic Standard, the official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Washington, approached us to reimagine their existing digital presence, we knew we were taking on something special. This wasn't just about updating another news website – it was about elevating their platform to better serve today's readers while honoring their established journalistic tradition.
The Challenge
The Catholic Standard team came to us with a vision for evolution. Their existing site had served them well, but changing reader habits and growing content needs demanded a fresh approach. They needed an upgraded platform that could better handle their diverse content types while simultaneously serving material in both English and Spanish through El Pregonero. They also required enhanced systems for classifieds and photo sales, plus more intuitive navigation through their expanding content categories.
Making it Happen
We love solving problems that make others scratch their heads, so we dove right in. Craft CMS was our weapon of choice – its flexibility and content management capabilities made it perfect for building a system that could grow with the publication's needs.
We rebuilt their content structures to make it easier for editors to manage different types of articles, while keeping the reading experience clean and engaging. The redesigned site seamlessly handles bilingual content, photo galleries, and classified ads, all while maintaining the authoritative voice readers expect from the Catholic Standard.
The Good Stuff
- Streamlined navigation that guides readers through Local, US & World, Faith, Culture, and specialty sections
- A fully responsive design that looks great on everything from phones to desktop computers
- Enhanced photo sales system that makes it easy for readers to purchase images
- Improved bilingual support that maintains a consistent experience across both English and Spanish content
- Advanced search functionality that helps readers find exactly what they're looking for
Under the Hood
We're pretty proud of the technical solutions we implemented here. The site runs on Craft CMS, which gives the Catholic Standard team incredible flexibility in how they manage and present their content. We built custom field types, set up complex content relationships, and implemented a multi-site setup for language variants – all while keeping the admin experience straightforward and user-friendly.
The Result
The redesigned Catholic Standard website demonstrates how established publications can evolve digitally without losing their identity. The platform handles everything from breaking news to in-depth features with ease, while maintaining the publication's authoritative voice and commitment to quality journalism.
Most importantly, it's a solution that works for everyone – editors can manage content more efficiently, readers can find what they're looking for faster, and the Catholic Standard can continue their mission of delivering important news and stories to their community with a platform built for the future.
Want to see it in action? Visit cathstan.org.
