Leading the brand that led an industry
Building the foundation for Credly’s growth and its 200 million dollar acquisition by Pearson.
The Starting Point
Credly, a New York–based SaaS company founded in 2012, helps people connect verified skills to real professional opportunities. Its mission is to empower individuals to unlock their potential through trusted recognition of achievement.
By 2020, Credly was growing fast, generating millions in revenue and expanding its B2B and education partnerships. But the brand’s early visuals and fragmented collateral no longer reflected its credibility or scale. It was time for a full transformation, one bold enough to grow with the business and clear enough to lead a crowded industry.
The Problem to Solve
The brand had outgrown its original identity. What began as a startup aesthetic had become a barrier to perception. Credly needed a cohesive, scalable brand that spoke to both sides of its audience, the individuals earning credentials and the organizations issuing them.
The challenge was to build a visual system that balanced innovation with trust, felt human yet professional, and elevated the brand’s market position without losing familiarity.
The Mission
Rebrand Credly in six months while maintaining brand equity and ensuring a seamless rollout across all touchpoints.
As the sole designer, I partnered directly with the CEO, CXO, and Senior VP of Marketing to define visual positioning, competitive differentiation, and the systems that would sustain the brand post-launch.
The mission was clear:
Connect B2C and B2B audiences under a unified identity.
Create a credible, scalable design system that could support rapid growth.
Align product UX/UI and marketing for a consistent brand experience.
This wasn’t a logo update, it was a full-scale rebrand built for long-term clarity and confidence.
How I Built Clarity
The work began with a deep competitive analysis to identify opportunities for distinction in tone, color, and visual hierarchy. Those insights shaped a strategy centered on refinement, recognition, and simplicity.
Key creative decisions included:
Logo Refinement: Updated the existing wordmark to retain equity while amplifying Credly’s confident, independent energy.
Color System: Retained the brand’s signature bold color to help Credly stand out in a space where competitors leaned on safe, muted palettes. The hue was refined for warmth and a more modern appeal.
Typography: Introduced Grad, a serif typeface that balanced heritage and innovation , a subtle nod to certificates and trust.
Pattern Design: Created a geometric pattern representing interconnected learning and global credibility.
Imagery & Icons: Developed human-centered photography and 12+ custom icons inspired by digital credentials.
The brand system included:
A new brand guide website and marketing site redesign
53+ collateral pieces across sales, social, and digital marketing
Custom illustration suite and motion intro/outro templates
Branded sound identity, swag, and presentation systems
UX/UI collaboration with product teams to align brand and platform
Templates for web, social, and internal communications
Every element served a purpose. Together, they built a system that could adapt as the team and business evolved.
The Impact
The new identity elevated Credly from fast-moving startup to established category leader.
5x B2B growth and 279% year-over-year revenue increase
Revenue rose from $4.9M in 2021 to $10.7M in 2022
Positioned for a $200M acquisition by Pearson
Unified brand and UX system adopted company-wide
The refreshed brand became a benchmark in digital credentialing, helping Credly stand apart as both innovative and credible.
What I Learned
Clarity isn’t just visual, it’s cultural. A strong brand system helps teams think faster, collaborate better, and lead with confidence.
At Credly, design became more than execution. It became the structure that allowed creativity and business strategy to thrive side by side.
