Skill IQ Branding
Skill IQ has historically been a single assessment experience that helps learners understand where they stand in a given skill compared to their peers—and where they should focus next.
The experience is a major differentiator for Pluralsight, but its visual identity had become fragmented across the product, with the wordmark, icon, and in-product results experience lacking a cohesive brand.
Creating a Stronger Identity
Rather than introducing an entirely new mark, I looked for an opportunity to build on the recognition Skill IQ had already established within the product.
I used the existing location-pin icon as the "Q" in the wordmark, preserving its original concept: helping learners understand where they are on their skill journey.
This approach also maintained a visual connection to the icon learners were already familiar with throughout the product.
Exploring the Mark
Version 1
The first exploration incorporated the existing icon directly into the wordmark, but the shape didn't read as a "Q" quickly enough.
Version 2
I transformed the center of the Q into a magnifying glass, reinforcing the idea of discovering where you stand within a skill. The handle also doubled as the tail of the Q, improving its readability while giving the mark a stronger connection to the assessment experience. It felt like something was still missing.
Version 3
I introduced a user icon within the magnifying glass to put greater emphasis on the learner taking the assessment. However, the added element made the mark feel overly complex and reduced its readability at smaller sizes.
Final version
The final refinement introduced a subtle shadow to the IQ mark, echoing the curve of the results chart learners see in the product. I also increased the weight of the magnifying glass handle to improve legibility at smaller sizes.
From One Assessment to a Full Suite
The rebrand coincided with an expansion of Skill IQ from a single assessment experience into a full suite with four distinct assessment types. The challenge was to create a system that made the assessments feel connected while still giving each one a clear identity.
I took a branded house approach, using the primary Skill IQ mark consistently across each assessment and pairing it with simple naming to distinguish the individual experiences. This created a flexible identity system that could scale as the assessment offering continued to grow.
Bringing It Together
I presented the exploration to both Marketing leadership and Product Design to ensure the direction aligned across teams and addressed the different contexts where the identity would appear—from marketing materials to in-product experiences.
The result was a cohesive visual identity that preserved the recognition of the existing Skill IQ experience while creating a foundation for the product's expanded assessment suite.