What is a UX/UI Designer at IPG Health?

A UX/UI Designer at IPG Health sits at the intersection of healthcare innovation and world-class digital experience. In this role, you are responsible for transforming complex medical data and patient journeys into intuitive, accessible, and high-impact digital products. Whether you are designing for healthcare professionals (HCPs) or patients, your work directly influences how life-saving information is consumed and acted upon.

The impact of this position is significant, as IPG Health manages a vast portfolio of global health brands. You will be tasked with solving unique challenges, such as navigating strict regulatory requirements while maintaining a modern, user-centric aesthetic. This role requires a balance of strategic thinking and execution, ensuring that every interaction is not only visually compelling but also functionally sound and inclusive.

Working within the IPG Health ecosystem means collaborating with cross-functional teams of medical experts, creative directors, and technologists. You will contribute to products that range from complex clinical trial platforms to patient support apps and high-traffic educational portals. It is a space where design craft meets a higher purpose, demanding a designer who is as passionate about accessibility and usability as they are about pixel-perfect UI.

Common Interview Questions

Expect a mix of behavioral questions and deep dives into your design methodology. The interviewers want to see how you think on your feet and how you handle the realities of agency life.

Portfolio and Process

These questions aim to uncover your design philosophy and your ability to execute.

• Walk me through your favorite project in your portfolio. What was your specific role?
• How do you handle a situation where a stakeholder disagrees with your design choice?
• Describe your process for handoff to developers. How do you ensure quality?
• What is your approach to mobile-first design versus desktop-first?
• How do you stay updated on current UI trends while maintaining usability?

Behavioral and Cultural Fit

These questions test your resilience, teamwork, and alignment with IPG Health values.

• Tell me about a time you had to work under a very tight deadline. How did you prioritize?
• Describe a conflict you had with a team member and how you resolved it.
• Why are you interested in designing for the healthcare space specifically?
• How do you manage your time when working on multiple brands or projects simultaneously?

Technical and Domain Knowledge

These questions focus on your specific skills and industry awareness.

• What are the most important WCAG guidelines you keep in mind while designing?
• How do you approach designing for complex data visualizations?
• Explain the difference between a UI component and a design pattern.
• How would you conduct a quick usability test on a limited budget?

Getting Ready for Your Interviews

Preparation for the UX/UI Designer role requires a dual focus on your design process and your ability to communicate the "why" behind your decisions. Interviewers are looking for candidates who can articulate their design journey from initial research to final high-fidelity prototypes. You should be prepared to discuss how you handle constraints, particularly those common in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries.

Design Craft and Execution – This is the core of the evaluation. Interviewers will look at your proficiency in Figma, your understanding of Design Systems, and your ability to create polished, accessible interfaces. You should demonstrate a strong eye for typography, layout, and visual hierarchy.

User-Centric Problem Solving – Beyond aesthetics, you must show how you identify user needs and translate them into functional solutions. This involves discussing your research methods, user testing, and how you iterate based on feedback. Strength in this area is shown by linking design choices back to specific user pain points.

Collaboration and Communication – At IPG Health, designers rarely work in a vacuum. You will be evaluated on how you present your work to stakeholders and how you collaborate with developers and product managers. Demonstrating empathy for both the user and your teammates is critical.

Regulatory and Accessibility Awareness – Given the nature of healthcare, understanding WCAG accessibility standards and the constraints of medical legal review (MLR) is a major advantage. Candidates who can show they design with these guardrails in mind are viewed as high-value assets.

Interview Process Overview

The interview process at IPG Health is designed to evaluate both your technical proficiency and your cultural alignment with the team. While the specific steps can vary slightly by agency or team, it generally follows a conversational yet structured path. The goal is to understand your design thinking and how you navigate the complexities of a fast-paced agency environment.

You can expect the process to begin with an initial touchpoint focused on your background, followed by deeper technical and portfolio-focused discussions. Some candidates may also experience a group interview or a take-home assignment to demonstrate their skills in a practical scenario. While the difficulty is often rated as manageable, the timeline can be lengthy, sometimes spanning several weeks or months.

This timeline illustrates the typical progression from the initial recruiter screen to the final decision. Candidates should use this to pace their preparation, ensuring their portfolio is polished before the first team interview. It is important to stay proactive in your communication, as the timeline can fluctuate based on the specific team's needs and project cycles.

Deep Dive into Evaluation Areas

Portfolio Presentation & Storytelling

Your portfolio is the most critical component of the interview. It is not just about showing the final screens; it is about the narrative of how you got there. Interviewers want to see the "messy middle" of your projects—the sketches, the failed iterations, and the pivot points.

Be ready to go over:

• Process Transparency – Clearly outlining the steps taken from discovery to delivery.
• Decision Logic – Explaining why a specific design direction was chosen over others.
• Impact Metrics – Highlighting how your design improved a specific metric or user outcome.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Walk us through a project where you had to balance user needs with strict business or regulatory constraints."
• "Show us a design that failed during testing and explain how you iterated on it."
• "How do you ensure your designs remain consistent across a large-scale digital ecosystem?"

UI Craft and Design Systems

As a UX/UI Designer, your ability to execute high-fidelity designs is non-negotiable. IPG Health values designers who can leverage and contribute to design systems to ensure consistency across various brand touchpoints.

Be ready to go over:

• Figma Proficiency – Expert-level use of components, auto-layout, and prototyping.
• Visual Hierarchy – Using color, type, and spacing to guide user attention effectively.
• Interactive Prototyping – Creating realistic flows that demonstrate transitions and micro-interactions.

Advanced concepts (less common):

• Multi-platform design (iOS, Android, and Web parity)
• Advanced motion design for UI
• Developing and maintaining complex component libraries

UX Strategy and Accessibility

In the healthcare space, accessibility is a legal and ethical requirement. Your ability to design for diverse audiences, including those with visual or cognitive impairments, is a key differentiator.

Be ready to go over:

• Inclusive Design – Applying WCAG 2.1/2.2 guidelines to your work.
• Information Architecture – Organizing complex medical information into digestible, navigable structures.
• User Research Integration – How you use data and qualitative feedback to inform your strategy.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "How do you approach designing for an elderly audience with low digital literacy?"
• "Describe a time you had to simplify a highly technical or data-heavy interface."

Key Responsibilities

As a UX/UI Designer at IPG Health, your primary responsibility is to lead the design execution for various digital initiatives. You will work closely with Creative Directors and Copywriters to ensure that the visual language aligns with the brand's voice and the specific medical context. A typical day might involve refining a mobile app's user flow in the morning and presenting a new web portal concept to a client in the afternoon.

Collaboration is a cornerstone of this role. You will partner with Front-End Developers to ensure your designs are technically feasible and implemented with high fidelity. You are expected to be an advocate for the user in every meeting, ensuring that the final product is not just a collection of features, but a cohesive experience that solves a real problem.

Beyond project work, you will contribute to the agency's design culture. This includes participating in design reviews, staying updated on the latest industry trends, and helping to evolve internal design systems. Your work will often involve creating prototypes that help stakeholders visualize the future of a brand's digital presence.

Role Requirements & Qualifications

A successful candidate for the UX/UI Designer position at IPG Health combines technical mastery with a strategic mindset. While a background in healthcare is not always a prerequisite, a willingness to learn the complexities of the industry is essential.

• Technical Skills – Expert-level proficiency in Figma and the Adobe Creative Suite. Experience with prototyping tools like Protopie or Framer is a plus.
• Experience Level – Typically 3+ years of experience in a digital design role, preferably within an agency or a product-led environment.
• Soft Skills – Exceptional communication skills, a collaborative spirit, and the ability to handle constructive feedback in a fast-paced environment.
• Must-have skills – A strong portfolio demonstrating both UX thinking and UI execution, and a deep understanding of Responsive Design and Accessibility.
• Nice-to-have skills – Experience with HTML/CSS, knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry, or experience working with large-scale design systems.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How difficult are the interviews at IPG Health? The interviews are generally considered average to easy in terms of technical difficulty, but they are rigorous regarding your design process and communication. The challenge often lies in the length of the process rather than the complexity of the questions themselves.

Q: What is the company culture like for designers? IPG Health is known for having a collaborative and patient team dynamic. Designers are respected as strategic partners, and there is a strong emphasis on mentorship and professional growth within the various agencies under the IPG Health umbrella.

Q: How long does the hiring process typically take? The timeline can vary significantly. Some candidates receive feedback within days, while others have reported a process lasting 3 to 5 months. It is common for there to be periods of silence between rounds, so persistence and follow-up are key.

Q: Is there a take-home design assignment? For some roles, especially at the mid-to-senior level, a take-home assignment may be required to assess your craft in a controlled environment. However, many teams rely more heavily on a detailed portfolio walkthrough.

Other General Tips

• Master the Follow-Up: Given that some candidates report delays in communication, a polite follow-up email to your recruiter or hiring manager every 1–2 weeks is recommended if you haven't heard back.
• Focus on Accessibility: Be ready to talk about accessibility in detail. Mentioning specific tools you use for contrast checks or screen reader compatibility will set you apart.
• Research the Agency: IPG Health is a network of agencies (e.g., Area 23, FCB Health). Know which specific agency you are interviewing with and research their recent award-winning work.
• Show Your Personality: Since the interviews are conversational, don't be afraid to show your passion for design. The team is looking for someone they will enjoy working with every day.

Summary & Next Steps

The UX/UI Designer role at IPG Health is a unique opportunity to apply high-level design craft to the meaningful world of healthcare. By focusing on your storytelling, mastering your tools, and demonstrating a deep commitment to user accessibility, you can position yourself as a top-tier candidate. Remember that the team is looking for a partner who can navigate complexity with a calm, user-focused perspective.

Success in this interview requires a blend of technical excellence and the ability to articulate your value clearly. Treat every conversation as an opportunity to show how your designs can improve lives and drive brand success. For more insights into the interview landscape and to further refine your preparation, you can explore additional resources on Dataford.

The compensation for UX/UI Designers at IPG Health is competitive within the advertising and healthcare sectors. When reviewing salary data, consider the total package, which often includes comprehensive health benefits and performance-based bonuses. Use this data to inform your expectations, keeping in mind that location and specific agency specialization can influence the final offer.