Hello everyone,
Thanks to you all for your contributions and comments on this forum. It’s been so helpful in gathering my documents. I submitted my application as an exceptional on 2022-09-22 and got my reply on 2023-10-03 - can not be endorsed under Exceptional Promise
Below is my submission (so sorry if it’s a long read).
About me:
I have about 7 years of experience as a designer, for five years out of the seven years I have been focusing on UI/UX design.
I have worked for one design agency and two product-led startups in Japan and the UK. In Japan, I worked for a Gov-Tech startup, and in the UK I worked for an Insur-Tech startup. Currently, I am working as a senior UX designer in a large journalism corporation in the UK.
My Recommendation
1 . My direct line manager in the design agency.
2 . Country manager in the design agency.
3 . Chieve Innovation Officer, who used to be my manager for 3.5 years as well in the product-led start-up.
Mandatory Evidence
1 . Proof of High Salary
2 . Reduced the rate of negative feedback by 50〜80% by improving the company’s main product design when I was working for the product-led start-up. (1) a Screenshot of the user research reports (2) a Screenshot of Figma and (3) a Screenshot of the Excel sheet to measure the impact (abandonment rate).
OC1 - Promise: Innovation as a founder of a product-led digital technology company or as an employee working on a new digital field or concept
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Gov-tech e-signatuer App MVP Design. (1) a Screenshot of Figma, (2) a news article of the design, and PoC (3) news articles of the App.
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The App’s Impact. (1) The App was published in multiple media including leading newspapers in Japan, (2) A leading tech company in Japan copied my design, and (3) the number of clients grew from 1 municipality to 100 during my work for 3.5 years.
OC3 - Promise: They have made significant technical, commercial, or entrepreneurial contributions to the field as a founder or employee of a product-led digital technology company
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Web Accessibility advocate. (1) Transformed the Gov-tech startup’s product web accessibility by creating a Web-accessible design system, (2) organized internal study sessions to advocate Web Accessibility and (3) Organised a workshop about web accessibility for a British Government’s design system event.
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Improved the usability of the main product in the Insur-Tech startup in the UK. (1)Screenshot of the user research and (2) Screenshot of Figma.
Other evidence
- Publication at an international conference. (1) a screenshot of the publication and (2) a recommendation letter from the co-authors.
Other evidence
- motivation letter
- my CV contains my experience, skills, projects, and awards.
And so the results came in as follows:
The applicant has fulfilled the necessary eligibility criteria to be considered under the Global Talent route.
Details of which area(s) have been fulfilled are listed below:
MC1 - Promise: Show that they have been recognized as having the potential to be a leading talent in the digital technology field in the last 5 years
No
OC1 - Promise: Innovation as a founder of a product-led digital technology company or as an employee working on a new digital field or concept
No
OC2 - Promise: A proof of recognition for work beyond the applicant’s occupation that contributes to the advancement of the field
No
OC3 - Promise: They have made significant technical, commercial or entrepreneurial contributions to the field as a founder or employee of a product-led digital technology company
Yes
OC4 - Promise: They have demonstrated exceptional ability in the field by academic contributions through research endorsed by an expert
No
Assessment panel feedback:
The candidate has applied with optional criteria 1 and 3 (innovation and impact). The candidate has not provided sufficient information to endorse for exceptional promise.
The candidate has not shown she has been recognised as having the potential to be a leading talent in the digital technology sector in the last five years. The candidate has submitted information on the E-Signature app and salary information alongside letters of reference. These are complimentary but does not show someone of extraordinary ability with emerging national or international recognition or a level of emerging expertise which places her at the forefront of the sector. The candidate does not have indications of leadership such as significant awards, public profile or leading the growth of a product-led tech business.
The candidate has not shown innovation as an employee working on a new digital field or concept. The candidate has submitted information on the UX of the e-signature app, but there is little to show here how the candidate’s work is driving new concepts or novel ideas.
The candidate has shown she has made significant contributions to the field as an employee of a product-led digital technology company. There is information relating to the impact through the insurance-tech startup and, more broadly, through the Gov-tech startup.
Reflection
So I am thinking about what I could have missed or did not do correctly.
- As for Gov-tech e-signature App MVP Design, should have I mentioned that the company obtained a patent to e-sign a digital document with the Japanese national ID card but they did not know how to give UX/UI for that technology so I did the work for them?
- should have I mentioned that I was the only designer for the e-sign App, and although my name nor photos are published in the articles the works are done by me?
- Should have I clarified that organizing a workshop at the British Government’s design system event and publication at the international conference is outside of my day-to-day work?
- In my motivation letter, I mentioned that my motivation to apply for the VISA is to continue working in my current company which is a large journalism corporation, which is not necessarily recognized as a product-led company. Should I have removed it?
How best can I approach my appeal?
If I revise my application to try a second application, how can I improve my application better?
Thank you.