The Pluralsight brand means being…
Authentic
Human. Genuine. Approachable.
We’re human and we act like it. Our brand is authentic. We care about our customers and connect at a personal level by being genuine and personable.
Intentional
Focused. Thoughtful. Realistic. Clear.
As much as we’d love to, we can’t be all things to everyone. We’re focused and thoughtful in solving problems, and we’re realistic and clear about who we are. We can’t fix everything, but when we aim to resolve a problem, we do it well.
Empowering
Transformational. Betterment. Possibility.
We’re empowering our customers and partners to unlock new opportunities in their lives and organizations, to tap into possibility in their communities. We’re changing lives by creating access to a brighter and better future.
Connected
Helpful. Collaborative. In-tune. Relevant. “Together.”
We’re truly connected with our customers. They’re our partners, and we collaborate to ensure we deliver what they need. We don’t need to worry about whether a piece of content will land because we’re already in-tune with what’s relevant and helpful to them.
Pioneering
Bold. Innovative. Trailblazer. Leader. Authority.
We’re breaking new ground in the workforce development space so our customers can blaze new trails in their respective industries. That requires us to be the authority on all things tech workforce development. We’re not just forward-looking, but forward-moving, evolving and adapting where necessary.
Delightful
Refreshing. Memorable. Fun!
Our audience doesn’t want to wade through buzzwords and marketing filler any more than we do. They want puns! Nerdy jokes! Witty one-liners! Playful illustrations and easter eggs! We have fun and create refreshing and intentionally memorable brand experiences that still deliver value.
The effect:
A brand that’s trusted and respected because of its relevant products and content, memorable experiences, and genuine care for our customers’ success.
Our logo
On the mark
Our logo is made of two parts: a brandmark and a wordmark. With the goal of advancing the world's technology workforce, we created a logo that would quickly and clearly project this message. Here’s a breakdown of what our logo is all about.
Brandmark
Wordmark
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.
Our wordmark is, simply put, the Pluralsight name stylized into art. It appears uppercase with plenty of space, creating a clean look that aligns with the forward-thinking tech company we are.
Pluralsight signature
This is our formal signature. We use this version of our logo when introducing ourselves to our audience for the first time and in places where the audience might not know us as well.
Full Color, Signature
RGB
JPG, PNG, SVG
CMYK
JPG, EPS
Stacked mark
Use only the stacked logo when the situation requires a stacked or centered logo, or spacing does not allow for our signature.
Full Color, Stacked
Full Color, Logo Mark
Logo mark
Use only the logo mark in situations where there is not enough room, the Pluralsight logo was already shown in a more dominant way, or if you are matching a partner’s logo for lockup reasons.
Respecting the logo
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.
Dos and don’ts
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.
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 skew, manipulate, or change the form or structure of the mark or type.
Do not use the logo in any format that may be “nicknamed” or abbreviated.
Never alter the size of individual elements.
Never manipulate the color of the logo, whether it’s a gradient or any other color.
Never change the typeface of the logo.
Never alter the color of individual elements. Use only approved logo sets.
Partnerships and category 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
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
Occasionally, the Pluralsight logo needs to be paired with a concept or a category. In this case, the category can be treated like a logo by using letter spacing and our PS TT commons font.
Full Color, Dark BG, Signature
EPS
Outline, Signature
Full Color, Dark BG, Stacked
Outline, Stacked
Outline, Dark BG, Logo Mark
Outline, Logo Mark
Pluralsight Signature
This is our formal signature, we use this version of our logo when introducing ourselves to our audience for the first time and in places where the audience might not know us as well.
Stacked Mark
Logo Mark
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.
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.
Give the logo space. To preserve the integrity and visual impact ofthe logo, always maintain adequate clear space around it. It’s anintegral part of the design, and ensures the logo can be seen quickly,uncluttered by other logos, symbols, artwork or text.
Download Pluralsight logos
Examples
Style guidelines
Voice & tone
Visual elements
Typography
Color
Logos
The brand
Brand guide
Colors and Gradients associated with each
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Brands within the Pluralsight ecosystem
To better establish Pluralsight as the brand and Pluralsight Skills, Pluralsight Flow, and Proserv as products, the respective logos are secondary to the Pluralsight brand.
Branded house—and what that means for using these logos
Download Flow logo
Proserv
PNG, SVG
Download Skills logo
Visual Elements
Product Brands
Brand Guide
Download Proserv logo
Download A Cloud Guru Logo
A Cloud Guru
Skills
Flow
Stacked
Signature
Pluralsight Logos
Product Logos
The products within Pluralsight’s ecosystem—Skills, Flow, Proserv, and A Cloud Guru—have their own logos.
Additional Logos
Pluralsight IQ, Skill IQ, and Role IQ have their own logos
Download Pluralsight IQ
Download Skill IQ
Download Role IQ
Our colors are as important to us as the logo itself. They’re part of the brand’s personality. Our primary colors are pink and dark blue. We use the secondary color palette to add emphasis where necessary. We use secondary colors sparingly, if at all, in marketing materials. We use tertiary colors for text, labels, and as background colors.
Download ASE file for colors
Primary colors
Tertiary colors will be used mostly as background colors and as color for body text.
Tertiary colors
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.
Secondary colors
Transform pink
Hex #ff1675 RGB 255,22,117 PMS 213 C
Inky blue
Hex #130f25 RGB 19,15,37 PMS 282 C, 282 U
Hex #99DAFF RGB 153,218,255 PMS 2975 C, 2975 U
Hex #4a33d1 RGB 74,51,209 PMS 2736 C, 2746 U
Hex #770ef7 RGB 119,14,247 PMS 2090 C, 2091 U
Hex #ffc942 RGB 255,201,66 PMS 121 C, 114 U
Hex #ff7b01 RGB 255,123,1 PMS 1495 C, 1375 U
Hex #02e088 RGB 2,224,136 PMS 2420 C, 2420 U
Gradients are combinations of our primary and secondary colors. They are used to add emphasis to an area, however, but they shouldn't overtake the branding of a product. For instance, if Pluralsight Flow is the primary branding for a piece or section, a gradient shouldn't be used in place of the Flow color in the Flow logo.
Gradients
Hex #1b1834 RGB 27,24,52 PMS 3524 C, 3524 U
Hex #242145 RGB 36,33,69 PMS 2119 C, 2119 U
Hex #393b6b RGB 57,59,107 PMS 2118 C, 2118 U
Hex #585FA2 RGB 88,95,162 PMS 2115 C, 2115 U
Hex #8E93C2 RGB 142,147,194 PMS 7674 C, 7674 U
Hex #89A4C7 RGB 137,164,199 PMS 3558 C, 3558 U
Hex #d3dff0 RGB 211,223,240 PMS 7450 C, 7450 U
Hex #ebeff5 RGB 235,239,245 PMS 7443 C, 7443 U
Hex #f4f7fa RGB 244,247,250 PMS 7443 C, 7443 U
Hex #ffffff RGB 255,255,255
Hex #00A3FF RGB 0,163,255 PMS 2191 C, 2191 U
PS TT Commons is our official font that we use in all marketing collateral and our website. It’s modern and sophisticated. It feels authentic and familiar. It is a licensed font, and can be requested for use. In cases where using a web font is necessary, Montserrat is the preferred font. In addition to changing our font, we've also changed how we format our headlines! Please use sentence case instead of all caps when formatting your headlines.
PS TT Commons
ABCDEFGHIJKLMN OPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmn opqrstuvwxyz 1234567890
Download PS TT Commons
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Small text 14/22. Ipsum proident minim laborum cupidatat officia excepteur nisi. Magna nostrud do qui culpa nostrud eu mollit enim aliquip non commodo dolore anim laborum. Ad dolore deserunt tempor ut id. Dolor link et ipsum labore. Deserunt reprehenderit duis pariatur magna officia elit fugiat consectetur.
Tiny text 12/20. Ipsum proident minim laborum cupidatat officia excepteur nisi. magna nostrud do qui culpa nostrud eu mollit enim aliquip non commodo dolore anim laborum. Ad dolore deserunt tempor ut id. Dolor link et ipsum labore.
Montserrat
Download Montserrat from Google Fonts
Use a background with a pattern to ground the illustration and give it a space to live in. Background patterns and elements are a unifying element that also bring consistency across visuals. Stick with a limited color palette. Use motion lines or action lines to help assist a narrative. Use a textured brush set that gives the feeling of a painterliness and custom feel. Major fills are left un-outlined. Use halftone to show depth, shadow or to give the palette a little more wiggle room. Keep a flat perspective to allow us to move quickly and to create something own-able that sets us apart.
• • • • • • •
Background patterns and elements are a unifying element that also bring consistency across visuals.
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.
Treatment of spot photography, stock, etc.
Product shots should tell a story. They shouldn’t be screenshots that show everything, but highlights that provide understanding and highlight what a user would get from our platform.
To align all of our display elements, use the background elements and highlights from the illustration style to add interest and separation to product shots.
Icons can be black and white, or you can make them pop by adding magenta to an element of the icon or applying the gradient to the whole thing. Icons are the visual expression of our products, services, or tools. Simple, light, sophisticated, and friendly, they communicate the core idea or component of the brand. While each icon is visually distinct, all icons should have consistent line weights and visual style. Line weights can be manipulated, but take special care to keep lines light enough that they match other elements on the page.
Pluralsight’s voice is:
Human
Corporate marketing speak is chloroform for the attention span. Robots are cool, but they’re not known for their witty banter and engaging storytelling powers. (Yet.) We want to sound like down-to-earth humans who are eager to learn from our audience. Sure, we have a lot of specialized knowledge, but we don’t have a superiority complex—we understand the importance of learning as a lifestyle. Also, we’re cool; ask any of our moms.
What does “human” look like?
Conversational/casual tone and style:
We aren’t scared of starting sentences with conjunctions or using contractions. Where we can, we try to write how people talk. This may also involve using sentence fragments and *gasp* ending sentences with prepositions. We’re not saying to totally throw away your high-school English notes but to see them less as the 637 Commandments and more as the 637 guidelines.
“This year, it will not be enough to… vs. This year, it won’t be enough to…” “That’s right: You can get all the skill development you can handle for the weekend. For free!”
Think “we’re all in this together” energy. Our audience should feel like they’re talking to a friend who understands their challenges in the tech world and the broader context of shared problems.
Imagine: What if Zoom had a blueprint for a smart system that flawlessly prevented lags in your calls? What if Kubernetes had a blueprint for flattening that mountainous learning curve into a nice sunrise hike with a view? In 2021, despite the bumpy road littered with empty coffee cups, cats walking across keyboards, and a stark increase in loungewear spending, the world acclimated to new ways of managing work and working together.
Relatable and empathetic:
We’re talking to leaders and learners from all walks of life, backgrounds, and perspectives. And we’re respectful and inclusive of that beautiful diversity. You can do that by:
Inclusive:
Using “they” to refer to someone whose gender you’re unsure of Avoiding “bro” language: “crush it,” “kill it,” “rockstar,” and the like. Those are all cliches, anyway. Stay away from stereotypes around “younger” or “older” employees and defining people by age. For example, use “new-to-workforce” or “recent college graduates” instead of “younger employees.” (Age-related language is a particularly sensitive topic in software.) Limiting saying “guys” to refer to a group. We know this one can be hard, but “y’all,” “friends,” “folks,” or other substitutes are out there. Do not generalize people, use stereotypes, or assume heritage. For example, not all Black people are African-American, and not all Black people in the United States want to be labeled as African-American. “People of color” is generally a safe term for those of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. When using examples or images, be diverse and inclusive with a fair representation of different genders, ethnic and racial backgrounds, and age. And if we ever mention an aspect of someone’s identity, we should consider if it’s absolutely necessary to do so. If it is, ask the individual how they’d like to be identified. Be mindful of regional diversity in our audience. When writing about events, include time zone identifiers. When using dates, it’s usually better to spell them out than use numerals. Most countries outside the US use day/month/year. Avoid stigmatizing language like “crazy,” “paralyze,” “brown-bag lunch” (use “lunch and learn” instead).
• • • • • • • •
“The event takes place on March 9” instead of “The event takes place on 3/9,” which could be March 9 or September 3 depending on location.
Example (of regional diversity)
We’re building community here, and we welcome all. We build connections and foster a safe space for ideas and inclusion. We want to be the cool house where everyone comes to hang out because we’ve got the best snacks and the new video game.
We’re on our audience’s side and want to see them succeed, so we’re encouraging about solutions and strategies. We’re helping people learn and refine their workflows so they can do great things.
We can’t wait to see what you build. Be your customer’s “Where have you been all my life?
Empowering:
You might be stressed, but at least you have a job. Try to be more positive and focus on the bigger picture. Everything happens for a reason. Covid-19 was a bit tricky, but look how well we did! Hey, at least __________ didn’t happen!
We aren’t fans of toxic positivity, so avoid saying (or writing) things like:
• • • • •
Not every technologist is obsessed with their career and trying to land themselves a job in the C-suite. We aren’t only talking to people who want to change the world—some people simply want to work smarter, not harder. We don’t need to be overly aspirational.
We love helping hugely successful companies advance their workforces. But we also love helping developers build the skills they need to take a longer lunch break because they worked smarter this morning. We love helping people advocate for higher salaries and more vacation time. We love helping people feel less frustrated in their daily lives. We love that song about Piña Coladas and getting caught in the rain. Ok, enough about us.
Realistic:
Sometimes a tech company’s promotional email isn’t the first notification someone wants to see on New Year’s Eve, and it’s okay to say that. We’re self-aware about how technologists sometimes get tired of marketing promotions, so we recognize that when appropriate. And we have fun with it, too. Sometimes being self-aware also involves pulling back the curtain and showing our own humanity.
OK listen, we know it’s New Year’s Eve and reading a tech company’s email might not be the exact vibe you’re going for right now (or maybe it is, we don’t judge), but our sale is ending soon. “Doesn’t the deal speak for itself?” - Our social media copywriter, who definitely didn’t celebrate Super Bowl Sunday too hard yesterday. We felt like this deal was good enough to give our copywriter the afternoon off. Enjoy. :)
Self-aware:
Active voice is when the subject of a sentence (the “doer” of the action) appears first, and the object of the sentence (the “receiver” of the action) appears after the subject. Use active voice wherever possible; it is clearer and generally more concise.
The learners took the course.
Active voice:
This is technically passive voice (it's a contraction, but "been extended" is a “be” verb + past participle), but it works because the emphasis is on the offer. If we said "We're extending the offer!" that's not wrong, either. But it feels a little like that "We're" shares some of the emphasis, where the emphasis rests more heavily on "The offer" in the passive instance. Grammar's weird, and sometimes subjective, so it often comes down to what makes more strategic sense.
Or fluff, or gobbledygook, or whatever you want to call it. Trim those extra words or awkward forms that make you take longer to get to your message.
Pluralsight Skills displays our commitment to the empowerment of every technologist.
Example
The course was taken by the learners. (subject included) The course was taken. (subject omitted)
• •
Passive voice is when the object of a sentence comes first, and the subject (if specified) receives the action.
Lack of filler:
What does “efficient” look like?
Efficient
Every word matters. Our audience shouldn’t have to wade through the mud of unclear writing to get the message. And they won’t take the time to. Technologists, perhaps more than other audiences, want to get to the value quickly, so we give them what they want. We’re clear and concise, and those qualities help us communicate confidence. We’re leaders in tech workforce development, so let’s sound like it!
“Why waste time say lot word when few word do trick?”
- Kevin Malone, The Office
Passive voice is generally wordier, less forceful, and more ambiguous than active voice. It should be avoided whenever possible, except in the instance described below: Passive voice can be appropriate when a writer wants to intentionally remove the subject/actor, or if the subject/actor isn’t important.
The offer’s been extended!
“Too much passive voice makes me want to kick puppies. Don’t make me kick puppies.”
- Chuck Norris, probably
One final note on this. You can have passive-sounding language without technical passive voice. Take this comparison for example:
“Leveraging data to drive efficiencies” VS “Leverage data to drive efficiencies”
The first reads like a general subject, where the second reads like an active invitation. When we can, we go with the latter.
Nominalizations (transforming a verb into a noun form) almost always make writing feel fluffier. Changing nominalizations to active verbs can help you be more direct. Let’s see what happens when we adjust those and rearrange this a bit to clarify the message:
Through Pluralsight Skills, we commit to empower every technologist.
Better example
Isn’t that clearer? Trade secret: Read your writing out loud. If it sounds clunky and too long, try reworking it.
We get it. Sometimes it’s intimidating to make claims like “we’re the leading tech workforce development company.” First of all, we don’t make those claims without being able to back them up. We also don’t “hedge,” which involves limiting, qualifying, or softening statements.
“Can help you” is the hedging piece here. It softens the value prop. Consider instead:
We also avoid empty language like “world-class,” “robust,” “high-quality,” and yes, even “great” and “perfect.” Instead, we describe what we mean by those relatively empty, cliche words. What does it mean that Skills delivers high-quality skill development? We mean that technologists can develop skills that stick with hands-on practice. Let’s not leave our audience to imagine what we mean. Be concrete! The key takeaway from this point? Words take up valuable space in emails, on webpages or social media posts, or wherever else you may be writing. Each word should be worth the space it takes up. We deliver meaning and value as clearly as possible.
Pluralsight Flow can help you have more productive 1:1s with team members.
Hedging example
Pluralsight Flow enables you to have more productive 1:1s with team members.
Avoid hedging and empty language:
To check if you’re using empty language, try the “which means/so that” test.
Word nerd tip:
We wax the car.
We wax the car so that ________
Test
We wax your car to protect against paint chips.
Revision
Don't make the reader connect the dots. If you can't fill in the blank, then get rid of the sentence.
Our platform has 7,000 courses.
Example 2
Our platform has 7,000 courses, which means __________________
Test 2
With 7,000 courses to choose from, you can brush up on any language for your Monday interview.
Technologists don’t want to cut through marketing fluff, so we get to—or at least preview—key points and takeaways early. We clarify value up-front.
Pluralsight is a tech workforce development company that helps teams build better skills by continuous learning and working better together.
Value-forward, outcome-driven tone:
versus…
Pluralsight helps teams build better tech skills through expert-led learning, hands-on practice, clear development paths, and data-driven workforce analytics.
We obviously need to mention that we’re all about tech workforce development at times, but the second example here gets concrete about it and moves our value and outcomes to the forefront.
This could be part of previous elements of our brand voice, too. When we cut filler and communicate clearly and with concision, we communicate confidence. We’re also confident in our audience’s knowledge, so we don’t need to waste time over-explaining or over-contextualizing.
Getting to the point communicates confidence:
The first and most important guideline. Avoid cliches like your life depends on it and be concrete with your points so they don’t feel superficial or too high-level. Think “what's a fun, new way to say this?”
This may be concise, but it also sounds so generic. It’s a claim that pretty much every other tech company can make. We need to make it stand out by adding concrete value props that highlight Pluralsight’s effectiveness.
Build stronger teams with the right skills to achieve your org’s objectives.
Example:
Take the road less traveled:
What does “refreshing” look like?
Refreshing
It’s easy to get lost in the sea of boring corporate marketing that all says the same thing: Strengthen teams like this. Develop skills like that. Innovate and become a “trailblazer.” Bleh. By speaking to technologists this way, we’re a cup of water thrown in the ocean. Our audience wants to be spoken to like they’re sitting down with their tech-savvy friend—someone whose advice can be trusted, but who doesn’t hesitate to interweave jokes or funny references in their knowledge mic drops.
"You know what the happiest animal on Earth is? It's a goldfish. You know why? It's got a 10-second memory. Be a goldfish.”
- Ted Lasso
Close your org’s skills gaps through hands-on practice, certification prep content, and expert-led training
Better example:
See how that’s better? It gives the reader direct value props as to why Pluralsight is the choice to build stronger teams without coming off as cliché and generic.
Don’t be afraid to use puns, jokes, plays-on-words, pop culture references, etc.
Tread carefully! Embrace the inner geek where it makes sense and don’t go overboard. We want engaging, not cringey.
This line would not only make an executive want to snap their laptop in half, but it’s too distracting from any possible value props. Sure it’s playful, but it’s overdone and can make Pluralsight look like a try-hard who doesn’t know their audiences. Just be cool. If it feels forced, it probably is.
Get your head in the cloud(s) and save 40% on all Personal Annual plans. Your future in the cloud will thank you.
A team with a lack of tech skills is NOT the vibe! Build your GOAT team with Pluralsight Skills and take the tech world by storm.
Cringy example
Embrace your inner geek:
To build off the previous topic, try to sprinkle in tech-driven inside jokes and plays-on-words when it’s appropriate. This helps the brand appear more down-to-earth, less corporate, and in the trenches—not some outsider who wants to be in with “the fellow cool kids.”
That could work, but again, it feels generic and not very relatable. Try having fun with it, like this:
The context of the copy is definitely a factor, but whenever you can get relatable, playful, and down-to-earth with your writing, go for it. It’ll go a long way. And when necessary, add crucial context in a subhead or in the introductory copy that supplements the header.
We prioritize your skills and take you to the next level.
Corporate:
Building skills is in our code.
More human:
Be relatable:
Cadence is all about creating a sentence and paragraph structure that varies in length and rhythm. To put things in simpler terms, use short, punchy writing mixed with longer writing in ways that play with rhythm. Play with how the writing feels and find what feels casual to you. Here’s an example of what it can look like:
Having too many sentences that are all really short or really long can become tiring to read, but a nice mix of short and long sentences makes the copy feel more interesting.
Say hi to Pluralsight Flow. With Flow, you can identify roadblocks and pinpoint problems with data-driven workflow analytics. Turn mountains back into molehills—and enjoy the view.
Play with cadence:
Like Michael Scott said to Dwight Schrute: Keep it simple, stupid. Avoid using tech and corporate jargon. Just talk like a regular human being who’s explaining tech to someone outside the industry. Be more laid back and casual.
This isn’t necessarily wrong, but not every company uses “OKRs” as a term, and not everyone may be familiar with the term “tech stack.” Let’s try simplifying that:
A little longer, sure, but the message and outcome is clearer and more universally understandable.
Satisfy your OKRs with teams that can make the most of your tech stack.
You can’t make the most of your technology until you develop your people and processes first.
K.I.S.S.
Give a slight hint of golden retriever energy throughout your copy. Speaking about code can feel dull after a while, so let’s make sure it’s upbeat, encouraging, and actionable.
This year, enable yourself to grow in your career and get ahead of the curve.
Don't do:
Make 2022 yours and give your career the lift it’s looking for before “The Great Hiring” begins.
Try this
Positive and encouraging:
Welcome to the exciting stuff, the style guidelines that help us maintain grammatical correctness and brand consistency across the organization. Super sexy. Don’t worry about memorizing all this. There won’t be an exam. In this first section, you’ll find more general style and grammar direction, then you’ll get into the Pluralsight-brand-specific stuff below. We generally follow AP style in our marketing copy. Merriam-Webster is our source of truth on spelling and treatment of words with the exception, of course, of brand- or industry-specific language that goes against the grain. We default to American English spelling, but obviously tailor our spelling to Australian/UK English when necessary.
Capitalization style:
We capitalize using sentence case, which means that even headlines, titles, CTAs, swag, etc., have only the first word capitalized. (See also Headlines)
• Save now • Level up. Skill up.
Correct
• Save Now • Level Up. Skill Up.
Incorrect
Exception: Pluralsight Skills course titles, some Pluralsight Skills features, Pluralsight Flow reports, and some select pieces of content. See Pluralsight-specific rules below for examples.
Style highlights
Serial (or Oxford) comma: We do use a serial comma (a comma in front of the final conjunction connecting three or more list items). A serial comma helps readers more easily interpret lists by clearly separating their items.
Best practice: With the exception of the serial (Oxford) comma, commas should be used as minimally as possible. Excessive comma use is a barrier to clarity, readability, and a smooth flow. If a sentence contains more than four commas: Too many commas usually means your sentence is too complex and needs to be broken up. Try some reiterations, whether that means breaking the sentence up into multiple sentences, rethinking your syntax, or using alternate punctuation.
“At Pluralsight, we’re big fans of pizza, Indian, and Chinese food.”
Commas
•
“At Pluralsight, we’re big fans of pizza, Indian and Chinese food.
Do not use ordinals (1st, 2nd, 4th) within a sentence.
On May 15, Microsoft announced…
On May 15th, Microsoft…
Dates
Write headlines (and headers, subheaders, titles, etc.) in sentence case—only capitalize the first word and any proper nouns. Only punctuate a headline when it uses more than one sentence, or if it’s a question.
Pluralsight brand style guide Measure your skills. Learn something new.
Pluralsight Brand Style Guide Measure your skills.
Headlines/headers/subheaders/titles:
1 – 9 are spelled out; anything higher is in numeric form. Numbers over three digits get commas:
Numbers:
• • •
999 1,000 150,000
Write out numbers in full in charts and graphs. Abbreviate them only if there are space restraints (1K, 150K). Within body copy, spell out larger numbers ($12 million, not $12M). Exceptions: Numbers are always numeric in headlines and in:
Ranges: “It took 4 – 5 weeks to study for the exam.” Ages: “The guy who received his VCP was 25 years old.” Note: Use a hyphen before a noun, e.g., “A 25-year-old received his VCP.” Percentages: “Onboarding time dropped by 43%.” Note: We use the percent symbol (%) in both body copy and headlines
When listing time, follow AP conventions, listing a.m. or p.m. on only one of the times unless the time spans a.m. and p.m. Also, it’s a.m. and p.m., not AM and PM. Drop :00 from any times that start at the hour. Use noon or midnight instead of 12 a.m. and 12 p.m. Use an en-dash, not a hyphen, to separate the times, with spaces on both sides of the en-dash. (Hint: You don’t have to track down and insert an en-dash. The shortcut on Macs is Option + Hyphen key and on Windows is Control + 0150.)
Abbreviate time zones within the continental United States as follows (no comma before time zone):
10:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Noon – 3 p.m. 1 – 5:30 p.m.
9:00 am-11:00 am 2-4 PM 8 p.m.-12 a.m.
Time series/formatting:
Eastern time: ET Central time: CT Mountain time: MT Pacific time: PT
• • • •
To view the rest of our style guidelines, visit our full style guide.
Pluralsight is the name of our company. We’re a tech workforce development company. We have a portfolio of solutions, products, and services.
Our brand: Pluralsight
Brand-specific style guidelines
Pluralsight Skills is the name of our flagship product; you can refer to it as the tech skills platform as well. It is not “the Skills platform” or “the Skills product,” and it’s not “the tech skills development platform.”
Tech skill development is the category we’re creating around Pluralsight Skills. TSD isn’t just learning. It’s the most efficient strategy for building confidence and predictability into an organization’s ability to deliver on its tech strategy, placing technology skills at the heart of its competitive advantage and driver of business outcomes.
Pluralsight Flow is the name of our second software product; you can refer to it as the software delivery intelligence platform. Not the “engineering analytics platform.”
A Cloud Guru pairs effective, expert-led content with smart business tools to enable strategic cloud skill development in organizations of all sizes. If you go to Pluralsight Skills for a breadth of tech skills, you come to ACG to dive deep into the cloud.
Always write the full product name—Pluralsight Skills, A Cloud Guru or Pluralsight Flow—in the first instance. Following references can be shortened to Skills, ACG, or Flow. If Pluralsight Skills and Pluralsight Flow are both mentioned for the first time in a single sentence, still write the full product name.
Pluralsight Flow gives you increased visibility into your team’s workflow. With Flow, you can identify roadblocks, pinpoint high performers, and much more. Pluralsight Skills empowers your team with the know-how and hands-on experience to deliver on your tech initiatives. With Skills, you also give your team members valuable growth opportunities, which improves retention.
Pluralsight Skills course titles: Course titles are in title case without italics or quotes. Sentence-case features: Some features are generic and do not require capitalization.
Pluralsight Skills style
paths channels interactive courses advanced skills analytics
Title-case features (only features that are proper names): A few features are proper names and require title case (i.e., capitalize the first word, last word, and all major words in between).
advanced channels analytics skill assessments courses
Technology Strategy Plan Learning Matrix
Skill IQ Role IQ
All Flow reports use title case, but “report” isn’t capitalized in a sentence:
Pluralsight Flow report titles:
Ticket Log report Code Fundamentals report Work Log Review Collaboration Check-in report
We refer to them as “users,” “subscribers” or “learners,” not “members.” They are also “employees,” “team members,” and “technology leaders.”
Our customers:
Pluralsight Skills is the technology skills platform, not e-learning. We create “courses,” not “tutorials” or “training.” The people who create our courses are “authors,” not “teachers” or “instructors.”
Our product:
We are a tech workforce development company, not only a tech skill development company. Pluralsight Skills, however, enables “technology skill development,” not “technology skills development.”
Our category:
We don’t capitalize generic categories (e.g., software development, data, security) unless it’s part of a proper noun.
Tech categories:
Common misspellings
3D
3-D
back end
backend
big data, big data analytics
Big Data, Big Data Analytics*
Bluetooth
bluetooth
blockchain, block chain
Blockchain, Block Chain, Block chain*
data center
datacenter
cloud, cloud computing
Cloud, Cloud Computing*
coworker
co-worker
DevOps
dev ops, devops, Dev Ops
end user
enduser
internet
Internet
log in, log in to (verb)
log into ,login to (verb)
login (noun)
log in (noun)
multicloud
multi-cloud
multilevel
multi-level
open-source
opensource, open source
ProServ
Proserv, ProServe, PROSERV
set up (verb)
setup (verb)
skills gap
skill gap
skills strategy
skill strategy
smartphone
smart phone
startup
start up, start-up
T-shirt
t-shirt, tshirt, tee shirt
tech skill development
tech skills development, Tech Skill Development
technology professional
tech pro
technology skill development
technology skills development
technology skills
technical skills
virtualization
Virtualization*
web, website
Web, Website, Web Site, Web site
webpage
web page
Wi-Fi
wi-fi
*Hyphenate if it’s compound modifier, e.g., back-end interface.
*Capitalize if used as a proper noun
*Capitalize if starting a sentence.
*Capitalize if part of a brand name.
*Capitalize if starting a sentence or in a proper noun.
Visit our full style guide
Below are some examples of how our brand shows up in the real world.
Business cards
Paid ads
Gift of Pluralsight promotion
2023 Tech Forecast ebook
2022 State of Cloud ebook
Blog headers
One-sheets
