Fragmented learning materials
While assessments revealed growth areas across emotional quotient (EQ) competencies, the platform lacked a centralized multimedia content library mapped to those areas.
- 125+ countries served
- 5,500+ organizations supported
- 250,000+ EQ leadership assessments conducted
About the client
Our client is an emotional intelligence assessment platform that provides individual, 360-degree EI assessments, workshops, coaching, and training resources for organizations worldwide.
- Location
- USA
- Industry
- Emotional Intelligence Training
The challenge
People gained insights, but lacked a continuous growth journey
The client had a proprietary platform for EI and leadership development. Users could take assessments, receive detailed diagnostic reports, and explore heat maps revealing their EI strengths and areas for growth.
Teams used these insights to understand their leadership styles and EI profiles, and, in many cases, attended workshops and training sessions for further development. However, the platform lacked a continuous way to apply the insights and work on improving their EI over time directly within the product.
To extend the learning journey, the client decided to enhance the product with an AI-powered solution that helps users improve their EI and strengthen psychological safety (PS) within teams. They partnered with Academy Smart to bring this vision to life.
What was missing
Personalization limits
The existing platform wasn’t designed to analyze assessment data or generate individualized learning journeys.
Platform constraints
Heavy open-source visualization libraries would slow report generation and data rendering on the current assessment platform, creating performance bottlenecks.
The process
How we built an online platform for personalized learning journeys in 4 months
The client first came to us in July, 2021. At that point, they needed full-stack development support to maintain their existing platform, including performance optimization and localization. Part of that work involved improving report generation. We had to speed up rendering for complex visualizations, like heat maps and standard deviation graphs.
By April 2022, we started building an AI-driven learning portal for developing EQ/EI skills. Four months later, in August 2022, the Academy went live. Here's how we did it.
By April 2022, we started building an AI-driven learning portal for developing EQ/EI skills. Four months later, in August 2022, the Academy went live. Here's how we did it.
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We developed a multimedia content library
With a report in their hands, users needed the resources to act further. The client already had a rich collection of training materials, recommendations, and learning content, but these resources were not structured in a way that made ongoing growth intuitive within the platform.
To address this, we built a multimedia content library that handles multiple formats, including videos, articles, and PDFs, organized around specific EQ competencies users need to strengthen.
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We implemented two AI coaches for guided skill development
Next, we integrated the OpenAI API to deliver personalized learning recommendations and launched two specialized AI coaches: an EQ Coach and a Psychological Safety Coach.
Using assessment reports, the AI coach analyzes each user’s capabilities and areas for growth and builds a personalized strategy that shows users how to improve specific EQ areas.
The system processes only the data required to generate relevant guidance, without exposing personal assessment results.
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We sped up report generation on the existing platform
Each individual report generated on the assessment platform features a heat map visualizing 25 EQ dimensions, including optimism, openness, resilience, and more. For organizational reports, leaders receive additional aggregated insights, such as standard deviation graphs that show how responses vary across competencies.
To align standard deviation graphs with individual heat maps, we needed high-performance rendering. Open-source libraries loaded unnecessary UI components that degraded performance. So we built a lightweight custom rendering system that generates only the required visualizations, fast and accurate. -
We are still in
Our partnership with the client is ongoing. We're currently developing an AI-powered chat feature within the Academy to provide real-time support as users work through their self-development journey.
We have been very pleased with the work that has been done.
The solution
AI coach that delivers personalized EQ growth paths through a dedicated platform
The client wanted to extend their EI assessment platform with a solution where users could keep developing the competencies identified in their reports. To support this learning path, we built the Academy, an online learning portal that combines a multimedia content library with AI-driven coaching.
Once a user completes an assessment, they gain access to the Academy. There, an AI coach interprets their results, identifies strengths and growth areas, and generates a personalized development plan. Users can then use these recommendations to search for the Academy library resources, like articles, videos, and lectures, relevant to the EQ competencies they need to develop.
After 60–90 days, users can retake the assessment to track improvements in their EI development.
Tech stack
- Frontend
- Vue.js, Vanilla JS, Blade templates
- Backend
- Laravel, Eloquent ORM, Jobs / Queues
- Data stores & services
- MySQL, Algolia, Cache
The talent and expertise of their staff are outstanding. When issues arise, which is always the case with our type of application, their team is responsive and quick to keep our software running.
Results
Thousands return for continuous learning
Since its launch in August 2022, the Academy has supported more than 38,000 users who return to continue their EI and PS development journey.
4 months for the first release
We developed and deployed a personalized learning portal with AI recommendations in four months.
38,000 users engaged
Around 38,000 learners used the Academy to improve their emotional intelligence and psychological safety skills.
25 EQ competencies supported
Assessment insights are now connected to targeted content, AI coaching, and progress tracking across all core EI dimensions.
Before
After
The platform experience centered largely around assessments
Users engage in continuous, personalized learning on the Academy
Reports highlighted EQ development areas, but offered limited next steps
AI-generated learning paths connect insights to actionable development
Skill development depended on workshops and training sessions
Users have more opportunities for self-paced development
