Please help review my (potential) application - Product Designer

Stage 1
1

Hello everyone,

I’ve been working on putting my evidences together for GTV, to apply for Exceptional Promise. I plan to apply in Jan 2026 so some of the work i have detailed below are still in progress but i’ve just detailed the structure of how i want to present it . Please I would need help with feedback on my evidence list and other requirements i plan to fulfil for this visa. Thank you as you help review.

My Background

I’m a product designer with 3-4 years of professional experience, designing mobile apps, web apps and websites. I currently work as a Product Designer, and I’ve been with them for over a year.

I am using the work I have done across 3 companies in the past 3-4 years as evidence for my application so lets call them company 1, company 2 and company 3

LoRs

I plan to get letters from the following positions at my previous and current employers

Letter 1: CEO and Co-founder of my first job

Letter 2: Managing director of my second job

Letter 3: Head of digital of my current job

Mandatory Criteria

  • Evidence I led the growth of a product-led digital technology company, product or team inside a digital technology company:
  1. I plan to show evidence of how I redesigned the mobile app of company 1’s flagship product which led to a significant increase in downloads from 1K to 3K+ on google play store and also helped the company achieve significant revenue from transactions performed on the app. I will attach screenshots of my figma designs, screenshot of the app downloads (before and after) and also the company created a video of users giving positive feedback about the app and I plan to include that too - Company 1
  2. I plan to show evidence of how I designed a new product offering for company 2 that led to product led growth and generated revenue for the company. I will attach screenshots of my figma designs, news clippings announcing the launch of the system - Company 2
  3. I plan to show evidence of how I redesigned an old internal system used by the company and refined the entire user interface, I plan to show figma screenshots, the impact this had on the company and positive feedback from employees who use the system - Company 3
  4. I plan to show how i led the discovery and design to improve an significant section in the company 3s digital product. this will result in an increase in revenue to the business and also increase user engagement in the app. I plan to attach screenshots of my design, screenshots of discovery workshops i ran and also show overall impact on the business.- company 3

Optional Criteria 02

  • Evidence that I have been recognised for my work outside of my immediate occupation that contributed to the advancement of the digital technology sector?
  1. I delivered a guest lecture on UX Design twice at a university to teach undergraduate and post graduate. I plan to attach the email invite, lecture slide and images of myself in the lecture with students. (Will a reference letter from the professor who invited me help? )
  2. I delivered a talk at a UX Industry seminar to post graduate students at a university. I plan to attach photos of the session, my slides, and also attendance physical/virtual (51 people) as the talk was also made available to those who could not make it physically (Will a reference letter from the professor who invited me help? )

.

Optional Criteria 03

  • Evidences that I have made a significant technical, commercial or entrepreneurial contributions to the field as a founder, senior executive, board member or employee of a product-led digital technology company?
  1. Designed the product page for company 1’s official website, this was pivotal in marketing the release of its flagship product and enabled the company to get users to sign up/ sign in directly from the website. I plan to attach figma screenshots of my design and letter of reference from my line manager - Company 1
  2. Designed a set of features that enabled us launch a new version of our app at company 2, i plan to highlight the impact of this for users and also for the business. I plan to attach figma screenshots of my design, jira tickets showing this was assigned to me, comments from users and a letter of reference from my manager/product owner who was in charge of the project. Company 2
  3. I plan to show evidence of how i redesigned key areas of company 3’s digital product that recieved a significantly high amount of negative feedback from users in the past. I plan to highlight how my redesign addressed the issues raised from users and also the positive feedback from users alongside a supporting letter of reference from my manager - Company 3

How strong do you think my evidence is for my application?

Looking forward to your feedback, thank you so much in advance.

@Francisca_Chiedu @Amara_O

2

I’d also really appreciate your feedback on this as well, thank you soo much!

@alexnk @Akash_Joshi

3

Based on your provided information, your application is still weak. Here are details below:

MC:
You focus on your figma, which seems to be a part of a process of your own work. How can the figma screenshots show the difference or (exceptional) talent? I can see that LOR or showing some reports may make it a bit stronger. You just need to influence the assessor that you are top 10% among your peers. Focus on your impact.
For example your increase in download from 1K to 3K+ on google play store. Is this significant in your niche? Do you have the comparison to attach along to show the differentiation?

OC2:
Were the guest lectures a structured programme? Was it a paid work? Read the OC2 requirements carefully.

OC3:
The assessor may not consider you work screenshots as the main evidence. In this OC3, they love to see the reports, figures, numbers, or anything quantifiable. Referrence letter is just a support your figures and numbers, not a main document.

Read the guideline again to make sure you build a really strong application. You have loads of time to prepare and build your evidence.

I hope this helps @ebuka_Ihueze

1 Like
4

Hi @alexnk thank you for taking your time to respond to this.

The OC2 was not a structured program but an invite from the professor that heads the module in the university.

I will go through the requirements and see how it can be improved.

5

Your current evidence plan has a solid foundation, but there are several critical areas that need strengthening before submission. From applications I’ve reviewed, the main weakness in your approach is that you’re focusing too heavily on Figma screenshots and design outputs rather than quantifiable business impact. Successful product designers I’ve seen typically demonstrate their exceptional talent through measurable improvements in user engagement, revenue growth, or conversion rates that clearly exceed industry standards. Your download increase from 1K to 3K is a good start, but you need to contextualize this within your industry niche and show how this performance compares to peer products or industry benchmarks.

Your Optional Criteria 2 evidence needs significant revision to meet the current requirements. Guest lectures at universities only qualify if they’re part of structured, paid programs with formal selection criteria - not informal invitations from professors. I’ve seen many applications rejected because candidates assumed any speaking engagement would qualify, but the assessment committee specifically looks for evidence of recognition through formal, competitive selection processes. Instead, focus on industry conferences, paid speaking engagements, or structured mentorship programs where you were selected through a competitive process. Your Optional Criteria 3 evidence should emphasize concrete metrics and business outcomes rather than design artifacts, as assessors want to see quantifiable contributions that demonstrate your commercial impact.

Your timeline gives you excellent opportunity to build stronger evidence before January 2026. Use this time to establish relationships with senior industry figures outside your immediate companies for recommendation letters, as multiple letters from the same organization weakens your application. Focus on documenting the specific business impact of your design decisions with concrete metrics, and consider pursuing structured speaking opportunities or mentorship roles that meet the formal requirements. Most importantly, ensure every piece of evidence directly answers the question of why you represent the top 10% of product designers globally, supported by data and third-party validation rather than internal design documentation.