Chesterton Academy of St. Louis
Website Design
The Backstory
St. Louis’s Catholic parents felt defeated by the state of Catholic high schools in the region. Their quest to find a quality, affordable, authentic Catholic school that offered a classical curriculum left them feeling empty-handed and hopeless. Too many schools focused more on students’ athletic and collegiate successes than on their personal growth. Moreover, parents hated that most Catholic schools thrust a laptop or tablet at students and called it an educational solution. They wanted something better for their children, and they knew they had to provide it.
So, parents banded together to start their own Catholic school. Enter the Chesterton Schools Network, a group of classical, joyful, and authentically Catholic high schools throughout the United States and Canada. All Chesterton schools offer “a classical curriculum that combines a broad, liberal arts education with a strong emphasis on the development of Christian virtues and an appreciation of beauty.” Parents found and lead each school, playing central roles in the hiring of faculty and staff.
Chesterton Schools Network gives parents a leg up with beautiful branding guidelines and other support for new schools. But, they don’t provide ready-made websites.
If Chesterton Academy of St. Louis was going to succeed, it needed a beautiful website that relied on the brand equity of the Chesterton Schools Network.
The Challenge
They did not have a website to:
- Reach prospective students/families, faculty, and donors
- Communicate upcoming events
- Accept applications easily
- Effectively communicate the vision for the future school
- Share the Chesterton difference and Chesterton promise
The Strategy
Web Design
- Design a site that attractively presents the vision for Chesterton Academy of St. Louis.
- Provide an opportunity for families to connect with Chesterton Academy online and in-person.
- Share information about upcoming events like information meetings, family ice skating, and fundraising opportunities
- Build authority for a school that isn’t open yet, and show the strong connection to the solid foundation created by the Chesterton Schools Network. To build trust, the website needs to look professional and polished. Offer a sense of transparency about the school’s journey, as well as updates along the way, like the hiring of a headmaster and other faculty and staff.
Why it Works
On Fire Media’s approach focuses on storytelling in marketing. Every element of the school’s site works to tell the story of students rooted and formed in the rich intellectual tradition of the Church and G.K. Chesterton.
Additionally, we included plenty of information about the Chesterton Academy way, including curriculum, community, and the higher purpose a Chesterton Academy education serves. Prospective parents and students can get a sense of how Chesterton Academy is different from other Catholic Schools.
The design relies on the Brand Guidelines provided by the Chesterton Schools Network, while giving a distinctive look and feel from other Chesterton schools. Consistency throughout the site provides a polished, professional feel.
The architecture of the website is simplified from what other Chesterton Academies offer providing a navigable and pleasant user experience. The site’s intuitive structure offers a replicable design for future Chesterton Academies to use. This feature is especially helpful for founding families who don’t have time or confidence to build a website for their school.
