Case Studies.

Great design is measured by how well a problem is solved. In the following case studies, you’ll see how complex challenges were tackled through rigorous craft, thoughtful strategy, and a people-first approach.

01 Case Study
MAKING OF A BRAND >

02 Case Study
MAKING OF A PRODUCT >

MAKING OF A BRAND

01 Case Study
Pragmatism Personified

Challenge
Pragmatic Marketing, founded in the early 1990s at the height of the tech boom, became the gold standard in product management training by championing a market-driven philosophy.

After 25+ years of success, however, the market had evolved. New competitors emerged, customer expectations shifted, and Pragmatic’s brand no longer reflected its expanded capabilities. The challenge: rebrand a legacy category leader to reaffirm its authority and propel its next chapter of growth.

Discovery + Synthesis
Defining a brand starts with understanding why it exists. Through intentional discovery and thoughtful distillation of Pragmatic’s core values, four foundational traits emerged: inspiration, pragmatism, purposefulness, and adaptability.

  • To gain a clear and nuanced picture of Pragmatic’s current brand perception, we conducted a series of in-depth interviews spanning both internal teams and key external audiences. These conversations allowed us to explore not only how people describe Pragmatic today, but also the underlying experiences, expectations, and associations that shape those views. By partnering with TankIndustries, an external, unbiased research partner, we ensured participants felt comfortable sharing candid, unfiltered feedback. This collaboration enabled us to surface insights that go beyond basic impressions, revealing the authentic ways the market and our own teams perceive Pragmatic’s strengths, challenges, and opportunities for differentiation.

  • Tank Industries

    Rebecca Kalogeris

Tone + Voice
When you truly believe in something, expressing your point of view becomes natural. The art is in blending a brand’s personality with its purpose.

  • With the interviews completed and a rich collection of candid insights in hand, the next step was to translate these learnings into a cohesive and authentic brand voice for Pragmatic. To do this, we convened an internal team of writers, each bringing a distinct background, perspective, and creative approach. This diversity was intentional; it allowed us to examine the research from multiple angles, challenge assumptions, and distill the common themes that consistently emerged. Together, the team worked to interpret the emotional drivers, language preferences, and core expectations revealed through the interviews, ultimately shaping a tone that reflects who Pragmatic is today and where the brand is headed.

  • Rebecca Kalogeris

    Kelli LaPointe

    Erin Thibeau

    Kristy Sturgill

    Nicole Lindquist

    Kelsey Phariss

Visual Identity
Many tend to place pixels before purpose, but true visual design starts with understanding who you are. For Pragmatic, this meant evolving beyond a decades-old aesthetic to reflect tangible, transformative energy—imagery that not only looks good, but moves with intent and authority.

  • Working in close collaboration with the brand writing team, visual creatives from across disciplines came together to translate the strategy into a compelling design system. Designers from all disciplines contributed their expertise, exploring how every visual element, from logo refinements and color palettes to typography, iconography, and layout conventions, could reinforce the brand’s new direction. Through iterative exploration and cross-team alignment, this collective “super team” shaped the next evolution of the Pragmatic brand, ensuring that every creative decision was purposeful, consistent, and rooted in the insights that emerged from our research.

  • Rebecca Kalogeris

    Eddie Gordon

    Janko Katic

    Kyle Gazzigli

    Andres Orellanas

Brand Mark
On the right sits the “P” of pragmatism—a symbol of the shared mindset that defines the organization. The counter space within the “P” forms a window on an opening door, offering a view into the world of possibility that lies beyond.
The blocks on the left pay homage to Pragmatic’s legacy and its purposeful approach. Together, they embody the Pragmatic framework—the blueprint for creating and marketing products people want to buy.
At its core, the design reflects a sense of perspective and modular adaptability. Combined with the mark’s almost flag-like quality, it stands as a rallying cry to solve real market problems—the very essence of Pragmatic.
Download brand core book

Outcomes

  • Increased Credibility and Trust

    Modernizing the brand helped Pragmatic Institute reinforce its long-established credibility with loyal customers while giving them a clear view into the company’s continued evolution. The refreshed identity communicated expertise and forward momentum, reassuring longtime professionals of Pragmatic’s stability while appealing to newer learners seeking innovative training in the technology and product space.

  • More Effective Marketing and Storytelling

    The refreshed brand sharpened Pragmatic Institute’s market differentiation and equipped the marketing team with clearer, more effective tools. The updated identity, messaging, and visual system made it easier to stand out in a crowded landscape while enabling marketing to create more consistent content, run stronger campaigns, and communicate the organization’s value with greater precision across every channel.

  • Clarifying the Expanded Offering for the Market

    The updated brand enabled Pragmatic Institute to clearly communicate its expanded suite of product, data, design, and AI offerings with a stronger, more unified message. This clarity made it easier for audiences to understand and adopt its programs, generating renewed interest, engagement, and momentum across the market.

  • Building a Future-Foward Brand for Evolving Audiences

    The modernized brand created a flexible foundation designed to support long-term growth and adapt to emerging industry needs. Its evolved identity provided the adaptability required to enter new markets, expand future programs, and articulate the core values guiding Pragmatic’s long-term vision, ensuring the brand can evolve alongside the next generation of professionals and the shifting demands of the technology sector.

See Case Study 02