Designing a recognition program for top-performing agencies
The Agency Status Program introduces a structured framework to recognise and support agency growth, assigning a performance status based on key metrics. Launched in beta in 2025, it gives agencies visibility into their progress and recognition for their contribution to the platform.
As the Senior Product Designer, I joined a cross-functional team of a Product Manager and Engineers to build the program from the ground up.
Problem
Agencies had no visibility into their performance or recognition for their contribution to the platform. Managing clients and growing a business is demanding, especially without a structured way to track progress and showcase value. From a product perspective, reducing churn and increasing retention relies on identifying and supporting high-value partners. However, lacking a method to assess agency success makes recognition and incentives challenging, resulting in missed growth opportunities.
How might we design a recognition framework that makes agencies feel seen and supported, while giving the business a scalable way to identify and reward top performers?
Challenges
- No benefits would be available in the initial release, the program needed to communicate progress effectively while maintaining excitement.
- The program aims to build anticipation and foster participation, positioning agencies as contributors.
- Agencies may start at varying status levels, from no status to the highest available, requiring thoughtful design for both entry and end states.
Process
We began with a team brainstorm to define the scope of the initial release, agree on how metrics would be calculated, and shape the early stage of the program. From there, I focused on mapping the core user journey: how would an agency find the program, understand where they stood, and know what to do next? With these in mind, I defined the information hierarchy and placement strategy to determine where status should be displayed, what context was needed on entry, and how to balance aspiration with transparency in the beta experience.
I proceeded to design for both the status component within the Agency Overview page and a dedicated program page, iterating on how to present progress, explain the framework, and invite feedback in a way that felt encouraging rather than transactional.
Key insights
- Status would be calculated using two metrics: total subscribers and campaign send volume over the last 12 months
- Analysis revealed that most agencies would not meet the minimum threshold, while a small percentage would qualify for the highest status from the outset
- No-status was not an edge case, requiring the same level of clarity and design consideration as qualified states
Solution
The beta release was scoped to a small cohort and introduced a status component and a dedicated program page, giving agencies visibility into their progress and information about the program. The status system features five statuses: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond, with Diamond recognising the top 1% of agencies on the platform.
The status component provides a clear overview of current progress alongside key indicators. A badge indicates the status and a progress bar shows how close the agency is to reaching the next level. A direct link leads to the full program page for agencies seeking more detailed information.
The dedicated program page monitors progress across two qualifying metrics and explains how the program works, how it was shaped, and what the roadmap looks like. It presents the beta program transparently while building excitement for what's ahead. An open feedback mechanism encourages agencies to contribute to the evolution of the program, positioning them as collaborators.
Impact
- Agencies gained visibility into their performance and a clear path to progress.
- A beta cohort enabled real user validation, informing future iterations.
- Transparent communication built trust while maintaining engagement in an early-stage release.
- An open feedback loop created a direct channel between agencies and the product team.
