STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP

Communication of Complex Ideas

Translating complexity into clarity by tailoring presentations to the audience, fostering engagement, and connecting design to strategy.

Building Consensus Through a Trusted Rating System

Education Quality Outcomes Standards (EQOS) is an initiative led by Jobs for the Future focused on improving how non-degree credentials are evaluated by centering real-world outcomes for workers and learners. A core component of this work is the EQOS Quality Signal—an outcomes-based rating designed to bring clarity and trust to a fragmented credential marketplace.

Building Consensus Through a Trusted Rating System

Program Goal

Design a clear, credible rating system for non-degree credentials that could be easily understood, compared, and trusted across diverse audiences—while maintaining data integrity and analytical rigor.

My Role

UX and product strategy lead responsible for evaluating rating system representations, proposing alternative models, and building alignment among project partners, internal subject matter experts, and funders.

Key Insights

Adoption was being blocked by how the quality score was represented—not by the underlying data.

During early presentations, an A-to-F grading model introduced confusion and emotional reactions that distracted stakeholders from the actual outcomes data. If the representation of the Quality Signal created friction or mistrust, it would undermine adoption regardless of analytical validity.

Impact

Replaced an A-to-F grading approach with a clearer, more neutral rating system
Preserved the data team’s 100-point, five-dimension scoring model while improving legibility
Achieved majority consensus among project partners, subject matter experts, and funders
Implemented the revised rating system in the EQOS alpha pilot
Validated improved comprehension and reduced friction with early adopter organizations

My Challenge

Design a rating system that balanced statistical rigor, emotional neutrality, and ease of comparison—while securing buy-in from data experts, partner organizations, and funders before broader public validation.

Users

Target audiences: Educators, Employers, Funders, Policymakers.
Primary stakeholders for validation: EQOS partner organizations, internal subject matter experts, funders.

Constraints

Scorecard needed to support side-by-side comparison and standalone viewing
Required display of five dimension scores plus an overall score
Needed flexibility to evolve as methodology matured
High sensitivity to interpretation and trust across audiences

My Process

Co-presented EQOS Quality Signal concepts at JFF Horizons alongside partners from Burning Glass Institute
Observed stakeholder confusion and hesitation around A-to-F grading for scores during live discussion
Synthesized audience feedback and aligned with the project team on the need for a different representation
Conducted desktop research on established rating systems across industries
Defined system requirements, including minimum inclusion thresholds and compatibility with the existing 100-point model
Designed multiple alternative rating concepts and tested them internally with subject matter experts
Refined and presented a proposed rating system to key partners and funders, grounding recommendations in observed feedback and UX principles