Page 12 - Spirit_Summer2021

“One of the things that really stood out in Atomicdust’s
proposal was the depth of research they would conduct,”
Samel said.
They talked to everyone: faculty, staff, students,
parents, alumnae.
They looked at everything: brochures, signage, uniforms.
They read every word of the website, samples of Spirit
magazines, admissions materials and social media posts.
They found consistencies in perception and identified
areas that would benefit from clarification.
They analyzed, synthesized and drafted. The team at Cor
Jesu offered feedback, Atomicdust made adjustments, and
in February 2021, they reviewed the results together.
“When they read the words aloud, we knew we had done
it,” recalled Weber. “We did the seemingly impossible task
of capturing Cor Jesu. We put that special feeling everyone
describes when they walk through the doors of CJ into words.
There’s nothing like the feeling of being
exactly where you’re meant to be,
surrounded by a faith-filled community
COR JESU REBRAND At Cor Jesu, every student is welcomed
that loves you and encourages
you to embrace who you are.
and celebrated for who she is on her
first day and who she’ll be on her last.
We empower bright students to recognize
and use their gifts, so they become
brilliant women who are compelled to
Share the Love of the Heart of Christ
wherever they go.
Cor Jesu Academy
Shine Bright. Be Brilliant.
To bring that narrative to life, senior designer at Atomicdust,
Beth Bennett, worked with various elements of past
logos. She sketched a “CJ” in the shape of a heart, played
with the shape of the tiles in the mosaic and explored
the traditional representations of the Sacred Heart.
“With everything we explored visually, our goal was
two-fold,” Bennett said. “One, to bring a fresh perspective
to the Cor Jesu brand. And two, to honor the rich
history and passionate community so clearly dedicated
to keeping Christ at the center of their work.”
The final design honored every goal,
yet did so with simplicity.
10 Spirit Magazine SUMMER 2021
THE UPWARD SLANT: The words slant
upward toward the Sacred Heart,
signifying movement, growth and
the school’s constant desire to
strive to be more Christ-like.
THE TYPEFACE: The agency advocated
for the use of a block font, rather than
script. Not only does it stand out among
school logos, but from a readability
standpoint, it would be easier to scale
for anything from a pocket logo to
signage. The words “Cor Jesu” maintain
a softer, more italicized look, while
Academy, printed in all caps, reflects
the historic lettering used on the yellow
brick by the front tower entrance.
THE CROSS AND THE HEART: The image
itself serves as a modern depiction of
the Sacred Heart. By embedding the
center of everything we do at Cor Jesu.
cross inside the heart, the designers
were able to show that Jesus is at the
It also shows how Christ is revealed
in each of our students as they share
their gifts and talents. Finally, the
heart surrounding the cross represents
how we support our students and
surround them with the love of Jesus.
THE RAYS: Twelve rays encircle the heart,
representing Jesus’ 12 Apostles, as well
as the 12 Promises of the Sacred Heart.
They also represent our students –
each as a brilliant ray of light, shining
in her own way. Each ray is pointing
in a different direction, emphasizing
that there is not one path to brilliance,
but there are many, and Cor Jesu is
here to help students find their path
and shine. In addition, the designers
derived the shape of the rays from the
mosaic at the school’s front entrance.