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Our story

OUR BACKGROUND

We believe in changing the way the world learns That’s been our aim since 2004, when we launched classroom-based training by developers, for developers That last part is key

We believe in teaching from the trenches Our course authors have already solved the problems . They set the trends . They shape the industry

As we went online and expanded into more learning areas, we stayed true to only working with the best . But we didn’t stop there . We brought instant mentoring and assessments into our platform to create a truly personalized learning journey And we added Code School to our ecosystem to help beginners and people diving into new technologies learn in an interactive way .

It’s a platform designed to fill any technical skills gap—for anyone or any company

Pluralsight is founded and launches with classroom training 2004

Incorporated online learning 2008

Posted $16M in subscription-based billings Dec 2012

Raised $27.5M in a Series A funding from Insight Venture Partners Dec 2012

Acquired Tekpub Oct 2013

Raised $135M in a Series B funding from Insight Venture Partners, ICONIQ Capital and Sorenson Capital Partners Aug 2014

Launched free kids programming suite May 2013

Fully transitioned to online training model 2010

Acquired TrainSignal (Chicago / Schaumburg, IL o ce) July 2013

Acquired Code School (Orlando, FL o ce) Jan 2014

Acquired HackHands July 2015

Acquired Smarterer (Boston, MA o ce) Nov 2014

Acquired Digital-Tutors (Oklahoma City, OK o ce) Feb 2014

Author Scott Allen reached $1M in teaching fees and royalties for all of 2013 Dec 2013

Acquired PeepCode July 2013

Named one of Forbes' Most Promising Companies (#42) Jan 2015

Supported the “Hour of Code” movement by hosting an hour of code for a week, kicking o the event with Utah’s Gov. Herbert and the Utah Technology Council Dec 2014

We started out as seven companies, but today, we are one tribe, united by one mission.

The brand

“Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.”

WHAT IS A BRAND?

A brand isn’t a logo Or our business cards It’s not words on a page or images on a screen It’s not a billboard or an event booth It’s these things, but really, so much more Most important, a brand is about people When you interact with someone, they won’t always remember the particulars of your conversation . But you can be sure they’ll remember how you made them FEEL That’s a brand

—Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder

YOU ARE A BRAND STEWARD

As part of the Pluralsight family, you get to shape what people say about us . You are a brand steward And that’s where this book comes in—to give you guidelines on how best to tell our brand story . We want you to own our brand . It’s yours, and it’s yours to protect in everything you do .

WHY WE EXIST

To democratize professional learning.

WHAT WE DO

We build an ecosystem where people learn, teach and connect.

HOW WE BEHAVE

We are truth seekers, entrepreneurs and eternal optimists. These are our core values, and they inform the personality of our brand.

Our reason for existing relates back to our brand personality Let’s break it down

Democratize: To make something available to all. As a brand, we do this by being inclusive and honest in everything we do We don’t talk down to our customers or condescend We are personal and friendly in our approach and seek to be helpful at all times

Professional: There’s no fluff in our learning library, and the same goes for our brand We’re sophisticated, intelligent and spirited. We speak to our customers with conviction

Learning: This is what we’re all about, but not just in the obvious ways Yes, we have thousands of courses, assessments and mentoring to facilitate learning, but what we really aim to do is to inspire a passion for continuous improvement in everyone who interacts with us

WHO WE ARE

The Change Makers

The Pluralsight community—our employees, subscribers and authors—are The Change Makers We believe the best way to predict the future is to define it We put the power back into our own hands and shatter the status quo Our love of learning makes us masters of our craft and ready for new challenges We follow our passions, live our core values—truth seekers, entrepreneurs and eternal optimists— and change the game with disruptive ideas and elegant solutions

WHO WE SERVE

Learners

Planners

Authors

Learners (individual subscribers or members of group plans):

“My craft is my career Connect me to my community and give me access to the knowledge I need to own my future ”

Planners (managers of group plans):

“I have a vision for my team Give me access to the people, skills and insight I need to realize it .”

Authors (the people who create our courses):

“I want to share my knowledge with the world Give me a platform to teach and connect me with other passionate experts and learners ”

Voice

HOW WE SOUND

We communicate in a way that is noticed, believed and remembered. We do this by following three principles in our messaging:

Be confident Be enthusiastic Be clever

Be confident:

Be simple and direct Avoid long, hard words and formal language Let words flow naturally, as if they’re being spoken Try not to say too many things at once

Write with conviction Whatever you write, own it— make a point and stand for something Avoid hedging language and evasive phrases such as “seems like” and “according to ” Steer clear of empty words like “world-class,” “robust” and “high quality ”

Confidence is not: Arrogance

Narrow-mindedness Dismissive

Be enthusiastic:

Stay positive by avoiding comparisons designed to elevate one idea by diminishing another Assume success and stay away from fear Celebrate the craft Our audience appreciates the skill that goes into their work, so shine light on it whenever possible

Enthusiasm is not:

Cheesy

Long-winded WRITING IN ALL CAPS

Be clever:

Show our audience you relate to their joys and frustrations That you know they have interests outside of work Infuse your writing with the unexpected and engage in wordplay, but not at the expense of being clear

At times, be light-hearted but not light-headed

Clever is not: Silly

Immature Flippant

Logo

WHAT IT MEANS

With the goal of redefining the way the world learns and enhancing the overall human experience, we created a logo that would quickly and clearly project this message Here’s a breakdown of what our mark is all about

Intersection, combine, movement, forward, play, direction, path, together, mentorship, learn

The highlight of the logo is the mark It embodies the idea of moving forward, mentorship and togetherness This is the company’s third logo, but we like to think it’s been hiding there the whole time . It’s a realization of everything we believe in

Note: For the most part, the logo will have the type and logo mark combined, but there are some instances when the logo mark can be used separate from the type Exceptions usually occur with apparel, swag and sometimes the website

OUR LOGOS

HORIZONTAL LOGO

VERTICAL LOGO

LOGO MARK

HORIZONTAL LOGO

= optimal clear space = minimum clear space = X height

Give the logo space To preserve the integrity and visual impact of the logo, always maintain adequate clear space around it . It’s an integral part of the design, and ensures the logo can be seen quickly, uncluttered by other logos, symbols, artwork or text

LOGO USE AND MISUSE RULES

When using the logo, take care to not harm its integrity by altering it or exercising your personal creative freedom .

The following are merely a few examples of what wouldn’t be OK

For context, this is the correct logo

Never manipulate the form by removing any of the elements

Never alter the color, whether it’s by adding a gradient to the type or changing the color of the mark

Never manipulate the gradient in any way

Never skew, manipulate or change the form or structure of the mark or type

Note: Logo color exception We may add a magenta tag on apparel or swag, like a backpack pocket or the sleeve of a shirt In this unique instance, the logo can be 100% magenta, or white on a 100% magenta background

Never add an effect to the logo, including drop shadows, bevels or gradients

Never change the typeface of the logo

Never manipulate the color of the logo whether it’s a gradient or any other color

Never screen back or add opacity to the logo

Do not use the logo in any format that may be “nicknamed” or abbreviated

Do not at any time angle the logo It always sits on a 0 degree angle

ALTERNATE LOGOS

CATEGORY AND PARTNERSHIP LOCKUPS

There are times when Pluralsight partners with another group or organization In those cases, there may be a need to create a logo lockup . Follow these guidelines to help everybody play nice

PARTNERSHIP LOCKUPS

Note: Our partnership lockups require us to show equal deference to our logo and the partnering company To accomplish this, we use the grayscale or black and white versions of both logos In order to maintain our ownership of the marketing piece, our logo is always in the primary position on the left

CATEGORY LOCKUPS

OTHER LOGO APPLICATIONS

Using the logo on backgrounds

We’re proud of our logo, so readability is essential Only use the gradient logo on white, light gray or 100% black backgrounds In situations where we don’t have control over the printing process, play it safe and use an alternate logo, even if the background is white .

This is an acceptable use of the gradient logo on an image

If you need to put the logo on a busier image, choose the darkened version of the image and use the white stroke logo

Don’t force the logo onto an image or background that compromises its legibility

Apparel and swag

Due to printing and embroidering restrictions, we use the alternate logos for apparel and swag

Note: On internal-use apparel and swag, we have the leeway to use the logo and wordmark separately

Color

THE COLORS

Our colors are as important to us as the logo itself They’re part of the brand’s personality We have established four primary colors: Pluralsight orange, Pluralsight magenta, black and white The secondary color palette is used primarily for the website to identify different roles Secondary colors are used sparingly, if at all, in marketing materials

PRIMARY COLORS

SECONDARY COLORS

PRIMARY PALETTE

G: 200

Psychology of orange

Orange radiates optimism, warmth and happiness, combining the physical energy and stimulation of red with the cheerfulness of yellow Orange relates to openness and two-way conversations

Psychology of magenta

Magenta as a color is an instrument of change and transformation It influences our personal development and it helps us experience a greater level of awareness and knowledge

OUR GRADIENT

C: 0

M: 80%

Y: 95%

K: 0 Hex: F15B2A

R: 240

G: 90 B: 40

GRADIENT USAGE

C: 0

M: 100%

Y: 0

K: 0 Hex: EC008C

R: 236

G: 0

B: 140

Minimal usage on letterhead, business cards, white papers and one sheets

Slightly more usage on banner ads and some promotional items, like stickers

The gradient will be used most on trade show booths and banners

SECONDARY PALETTE

Very little usage of the secondary color palette in marketing materials and other collateral

The secondary color palette will be used extensively on the website

Role of the secondary color palette

We primarily use the secondary color palette on the website and apps, as it coincides with different roles on the website Secondary colors should never be used as a dominant color on their own You may see the secondary colors used in marketing materials in charts, timelines or presentations, but they will be used sparingly

Photography

Our photography style conveys authenticity, as if you’ve captured a subject “in the moment ” The color, composition and feel should engage viewers and make them feel like they’re in the photo

OUR PHOTOGRAPHY

Typography

Our Logo

THE PLURALSIGHT FONT

Gotham is our official font and must be used when possible It’s modern and sophisticated It feels authentic and familiar Gotham is a licensed font and is used in all marketing collateral and the website . This is also the font of our logo .

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