Founding Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Founding Product Designer

Company: Nolla Health

Location: New York City, New York, United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / GTM Operations Enablement

Date Posted: 2026-10-02

Experience Level: Mid-Level (2-5 years)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead product design initiatives as the first full-time designer, shaping the user experience for AI-driven healthcare applications.

• Drive the end-to-end design process for patient-facing apps, from initial concepts to polished, production-ready interfaces and flows.

• Develop and maintain a robust design system and component library to ensure consistency and scalability across Nolla Health's growing suite of specialty apps.

• Collaborate closely with product managers, engineers, and growth teams to translate complex clinical AI outputs into intuitive and trustworthy patient experiences.

• Contribute to the visual identity and brand consistency across product interfaces, app store listings, and marketing materials.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the primary focus is Product Design, this role has significant GTM Operations Enablement implications. The designer will be instrumental in creating user-friendly interfaces that drive adoption and retention for new healthcare products, directly impacting GTM success. The emphasis on building scalable design systems and ensuring brand consistency is a core component of operationalizing design for rapid product expansion.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Deliver complete, production-ready screens and flows for Nolla Skin, NollaMD, and future specialty apps, managing the design lifecycle from brief to high-fidelity UI, prototyping, and design QA during the build phase.

• Design user experiences for patient intake, AI-driven diagnosis, treatment plans, and follow-up interactions, focusing on building patient trust in AI clinicians.

• Craft onboarding, paywall, and retention flows in partnership with the Head of Product and Head of Growth, leveraging user data and A/B testing insights to optimize conversion and engagement.

• Design interfaces for presenting AI output, including confidence levels, uncertainty, and escalation paths to human clinicians, ensuring appropriate patient trust and safety.

• Translate complex clinical safety requirements into simple, user-friendly interfaces that mitigate risk without compromising user experience.

• Partner with engineering teams to design conversational and multimodal interfaces (e.g., photo capture, symptom description, chat) that support and enhance the functionality of clinical AI models.

• Own, maintain, and evolve a rigorous Figma-based component library, including design tokens, components, variants, and comprehensive documentation for engineering teams.

• Ensure consistent application of Nolla Health's visual identity and brand guidelines across all digital products and launch materials, enabling rapid deployment of new specialty apps.

• Conduct design quality assurance (QA) during the development cycle to ensure pixel-perfect implementation and adherence to design specifications.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities are heavily focused on product design execution and system building. For a GTM Operations perspective, the emphasis on "delivering complete, production-ready screens and flows," "optimizing conversion and engagement," and "enabling rapid deployment of new specialty apps" highlights the role's direct contribution to Go-To-Market operational efficiency and effectiveness.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience: 3+ years of product design experience on shipped consumer or health applications, with demonstrated experience on at least one iOS application.

Required Skills:

• Proven experience in end-to-end product design, delivering complete, polished, and shipped work, not just conceptual designs.

• Exceptional visual and interaction design craft, with a keen eye for typography, spacing, motion, and overall polish.

• Demonstrated ability to build, maintain, and scale a rigorous component library and design system in Figma.

• Proficiency in taking a design brief or rough direction and developing thorough, considered options with edge cases addressed, ready for development.

• Strong prototyping skills in Figma (or similar tools) for user testing and validation prior to engineering development.

• Comfort and experience working closely with engineers and performing design QA on implemented builds.

• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, iterative environment with a focus on rapid weekly releases and direct feedback.

• Experience designing for consumer-facing mobile applications, specifically iOS. Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing for healthcare, clinical, or other highly regulated, high-stakes domains.

• Experience designing AI-native products, including chat interfaces, multimodal inputs, and handling uncertainty or human-in-the-loop review processes.

• Experience building or significantly maintaining a design system used across multiple applications.

• Experience conducting user research, including recruiting, conducting interviews, and synthesizing findings.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize hands-on execution and system thinking, crucial for operationalizing design. The "shipped consumer or health apps" and "component library" requirements point towards a need for practical, repeatable design processes that can be scaled.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase of complete, end-to-end design flows for shipped products, demonstrating a full project lifecycle from ideation to launch.

• Detailed examples of how you have built or substantially contributed to a design system or component library, including its structure, conventions, and evolution.

• Case studies highlighting your process for translating complex requirements (e.g., clinical safety, AI output) into user-friendly interfaces.

• Demonstrations of your prototyping capabilities and how you've used prototypes for user testing or validation.

• Evidence of your collaboration with engineering teams, including handoff processes and design QA contributions.

• Examples of how you have iterated on flows based on user data or feedback to improve metrics like conversion, retention, or engagement. Process Documentation:

• Design process documentation that illustrates your approach to taking a brief and developing considered design options.

• Examples of your design QA methodology and how you ensure pixel-perfect implementation.

• Documentation outlining your approach to maintaining and evolving a design system, including version control and communication strategies.

• Case studies detailing how you have applied visual identity and brand guidelines consistently across different product touchpoints.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirements are central to assessing a candidate's ability to operationalize design. The emphasis on "end-to-end design flows," "design system or component library," and "iterated on flows based on user data" directly relates to building scalable and efficient design processes that support product growth and GTM strategies.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $140,000 - $180,000 USD per year, commensurate with experience.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance.

• Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) eligibility.

• Meaningful equity in a rapidly growing startup.

• Flexible, unlimited vacation policy to promote work-life balance.

• Meal stipends for daily expenses.

• Regular team retreats for collaboration and bonding.

Working Hours: Flexible but demanding; the company culture emphasizes building something significant, suggesting a need for commitment and dedication beyond standard hours.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is typical for a mid-level Product Designer in a high-cost-of-living area like New York City. The benefits package is competitive and aligns with startup environments, offering strong incentives including equity and flexible time off. The "flexible but demanding" work hours indicate a high-performance culture, common in early-stage tech companies focused on rapid growth.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Health Technology (HealthTech), Artificial Intelligence (AI), SaaS. Nolla Health is at the forefront of leveraging AI to make healthcare more accessible. Their innovative approach to digital health solutions, particularly in dermatology and urgent care, positions them in a rapidly growing and impactful market.

Company Size: Early-stage startup (implied by "founding designer" and $6.5M funding). This means a highly dynamic environment where individuals can have a significant impact and shape processes. For operations, this implies a need for adaptability, ownership, and a hands-on approach to building foundational elements.

Founded: The company has secured $6.5M in funding, indicating a stage of growth and product development beyond initial ideation, likely founded within the last few years.

Team Structure:

• The design team is currently nascent, with this role being the first full-time designer.

• The designer will work closely with a Product team, including a Head of Product, and collaborate with Heads of Growth and Engineering.

• This cross-functional collaboration is key to Nolla Health's product development lifecycle, indicating a highly integrated and communicative team structure.

• Reporting likely to the Head of Product or a co-founder, given the early stage. Methodology:

• Data-driven decision-making is emphasized, with the role involving iteration based on "real usage data" and A/B testing insights.

• Agile development principles are likely employed, given the "fast iteration" and "ship every week" culture.

• A strong focus on building scalable systems, particularly the design system, suggests a commitment to long-term maintainability and efficiency.

• Emphasis on user trust and safety in AI-driven healthcare requires a meticulous and ethical approach to design.

Company Website: https://www.nollahealth.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's focus on AI in healthcare is a critical differentiator. For operations, understanding this context means recognizing the importance of user trust, data privacy, and rigorous validation processes, which directly influence GTM strategies and operational requirements. The early-stage nature means operational processes are still being defined, offering opportunities for foundational contributions.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a "Founding Product Designer," indicating a senior individual contributor role with significant influence. It's an opportunity to establish the design function within the company. While not a management role initially, the potential for leadership as the design team scales is explicit.

Reporting Structure: The designer will report to leadership within the product or executive team (e.g., Head of Product, CEO, CTO), working closely with engineering and growth. This direct line to decision-makers allows for significant impact.

Operations Impact: The designer's work directly impacts the success of Nolla Health's products by:

• Ensuring user adoption and engagement through intuitive and trustworthy interfaces.

• Enabling rapid product expansion and new feature launches through a scalable design system.

• Contributing to customer acquisition and retention strategies through optimized onboarding, paywall, and retention flows.

• Directly influencing brand perception and user trust in a sensitive domain like healthcare. Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: As the company grows, there's a clear path to building and leading the design team, defining its structure, processes, and hiring strategy.

• Product Strategy: The role offers deep involvement in product strategy, from ideation to iteration, allowing for growth in product thinking and strategic contribution.

• Skill Specialization: Opportunity to become an expert in designing for AI-native products and regulated healthcare environments, highly valuable skill sets.

• Cross-functional Expertise: Gaining deep experience in collaborating with product, engineering, and growth teams, enhancing overall GTM understanding.

• Founding Team Member Experience: The unique experience of being part of a founding team provides invaluable insights into startup growth, culture building, and strategic decision-making.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Founding" title signifies a high-impact role with significant growth potential. For operations professionals, understanding this trajectory is key to evaluating career alignment. The direct influence on product success and the opportunity to build foundational design operations are significant career accelerators.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is explicitly "In-person, New York City," suggesting a traditional office-based work environment. This allows for close collaboration and a strong team dynamic.

Office Location(s): New York City, NY, United States. This location offers access to a vibrant tech and design community.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The emphasis on "shoulder to shoulder with engineers" and close partnership with product and growth teams indicates a highly collaborative physical workspace.

• Tools & Technology: The team utilizes Figma, FigJam, Linear (project management), Notion (documentation), PostHog (product analytics), and potentially AI design tools like Claude or v0. This suggests a modern, digitally-enabled workspace.

• Team Interaction: Daily interaction with engineers, product managers, and growth specialists will be common, fostering a dynamic and communicative work atmosphere.

Work Schedule: "Flexible but demanding." While core hours may be flexible, the expectation is significant commitment and output, typical of early-stage companies aiming for rapid growth. This flexibility might allow for focused deep work sessions but requires strong self-management.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement is critical for candidates. The collaborative nature of the workspace and the specific tools mentioned are important for understanding the day-to-day operational environment and required technical fluency.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely an HR or recruiter screen to assess basic qualifications, cultural fit, and salary expectations.

• Portfolio Review & Design Challenge: Candidates will present their portfolio, focusing on shipped work and the end-to-end design process. A design challenge, potentially focused on a specific problem relevant to Nolla Health's products (e.g., designing an AI feedback mechanism or an onboarding flow), is highly probable.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Interviews with Product leadership, Engineering leads, and potentially Growth team members to assess collaboration skills, technical understanding, and strategic thinking.

• Final Round: Interview with a co-founder or senior executive to assess overall fit, vision alignment, and long-term potential.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Shipped Work: Prioritize projects that have been launched and are in market, detailing your specific contributions and impact.

• Showcase Process: Clearly articulate your design process for each project, from understanding the problem to delivering the solution. Use Figma, FigJam, or visual aids to illustrate your thinking.

• Highlight System Thinking: Dedicate a section to your experience with design systems and component libraries. Show how you've built, maintained, or contributed to them and their impact on efficiency and consistency.

• Demonstrate AI & Healthcare Nuance: If applicable, emphasize any experience designing for AI or regulated domains, explaining how you addressed challenges like trust, safety, and complexity.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use metrics (e.g., conversion rates improved, engagement increased, development time saved) to demonstrate the business impact of your design work.

• Prepare for Technical Handoff: Be ready to discuss your handoff process with engineers and how you ensure design fidelity during implementation.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Domain: Research Nolla Health's products (Nolla Skin, NollaMD), their AI approach, and the healthcare landscape.

• Anticipate AI-Specific Challenges: Consider how to design for AI uncertainty, explain complex AI outputs, and build user trust.

• Focus on User Flows: Be prepared to design a user flow for a given problem, considering edge cases and user needs.

• Emphasize Iteration: Show how you would gather feedback and iterate on your design solutions.

• Practice Presentation: Rehearse presenting your design process and solutions concisely and compellingly.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will heavily scrutinize the candidate's portfolio and practical design skills. For operations, this highlights the importance of candidates being able to "show, don't just tell" their ability to build scalable and efficient design processes. The design challenge will likely test applied problem-solving relevant to operationalizing AI in healthcare.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core tool for UI design, prototyping, and collaboration. Proficiency is essential.

• FigJam: For brainstorming, ideation, and collaborative whiteboarding.

• Prototyping Tools: Figma's built-in prototyping is expected, with potential use of Play or even code-based prototyping for advanced needs.

• Design System Management: Figma's component features, tokens, and variants are critical. Understanding how to document and maintain these is key.

Analytics & Reporting:

• PostHog: Used for product analytics, tracking user behavior, and informing design iterations. Understanding how to interpret and leverage this data is important.

• Linear: Project management tool for tracking tasks, sprints, and overall project progress. Familiarity helps with workflow integration.

• Notion: For documentation, knowledge sharing, and process outlining.

CRM & Automation: While not explicitly listed for the designer, understanding that Nolla Health uses these for GTM operations (e.g., for growth and marketing) is beneficial for cross-functional collaboration.

• AI Design & Prototyping Tools: Mention of Claude, v0, or similar suggests an interest in AI-assisted design workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section outlines the core technical toolkit. For a designer, mastery of Figma and design system principles is paramount. From an operations perspective, understanding the use of PostHog for data-driven iteration and Linear/Notion for process management highlights the operational tools that support product development and GTM.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Impact-Driven: A strong emphasis on building "something that matters" and shipping impactful products weekly suggests a culture focused on tangible results and contribution.

• User-Centricity: Designing for patient trust and understanding in AI healthcare underscores a deep commitment to user needs and ethical design practices.

• Collaboration & Ownership: The "shoulder to shoulder" working style and the "founding" nature of the role imply a culture of shared ownership and close teamwork.

• Iteration & Agility: Thriving on "fast iteration and direct feedback" points to a culture that embraces continuous improvement and rapid adaptation.

• High Standards: Exceptional craft and care for the "last 5% of polish" indicate a commitment to quality and excellence in execution.

Collaboration Style:

• Partnership: Working as a "design partner" with the product team, and "shoulder to shoulder" with engineers, signifies a highly collaborative and integrated approach.

• Direct Communication: Emphasis on "direct feedback" suggests an open and honest communication style, essential for rapid iteration.

• Cross-Functional Integration: The design role is embedded within product development, requiring seamless collaboration with product management, engineering, and growth functions to achieve GTM objectives.

• Proactive Engagement: The expectation to take a brief and deliver thorough options implies a proactive rather than reactive collaboration style.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture values high performance, user focus, and collaborative ownership. For operations, this means the designer needs to be comfortable with fast-paced work, direct feedback, and integrating their work tightly with product development and GTM initiatives.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Establishing Design Foundations: As the first designer, a significant challenge will be establishing design processes, standards, and the design system from the ground up.

• Balancing AI Complexity with User Simplicity: Translating complex, potentially uncertain AI outputs into interfaces that are both trustworthy and easy for patients to understand and use.

• Rapid Iteration and Scalability: Maintaining design quality and consistency while rapidly iterating and launching new specialty apps requires robust systems and efficient workflows.

• Working in a Regulated Domain: Navigating the specific requirements and user expectations within healthcare, ensuring safety and compliance are paramount.

• High-Paced Startup Environment: Adapting to the demands and pace of an early-stage, well-funded startup requires resilience and strong time management.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Design System Mastery: Opportunity to build a best-in-class design system from scratch, becoming an expert in scalable design operations.

• AI & Healthcare Specialization: Deep dive into designing for cutting-edge AI applications within the critical healthcare sector.

• Product Strategy Influence: Direct involvement in shaping product direction and strategy as a founding team member.

• Leadership Development: Potential to grow into a design leadership role, managing and mentoring future designers.

• Cross-functional Skill Enhancement: Gaining deep experience in product, engineering, and growth operations through close collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges present opportunities for significant professional growth. For operations, understanding these challenges helps identify areas where the candidate's skills in process building and optimization will be most valuable.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach building a design system from scratch for a rapidly growing health tech company?" (Focus on process, scalability, and collaboration with engineering).

• "Describe a time you had to design for a complex AI output or uncertainty. How did you ensure user trust and understanding?" (Highlight your process for translating abstract concepts into tangible UI).

• "Walk us through an end-to-end design project from your portfolio that demonstrates your ability to ship polished, user-centric products." (Prepare to discuss your role, process, decisions, and outcomes).

• "How do you balance the need for rapid iteration with maintaining design quality and brand consistency?" (Discuss your strategies for efficient workflows and system utilization). Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you most about Nolla Health's mission and our approach to AI in healthcare?" (Research the company's mission, products, and funding).

• "How do you handle receiving direct feedback, especially when it challenges your design decisions?" (Demonstrate openness, collaboration, and a focus on product success).

• "Describe your ideal collaboration style with product managers and engineers." (Emphasize partnership, clear communication, and shared ownership).

• "How would you ensure your design work aligns with Nolla Health's values and contributes to our overall growth strategy?" (Connect your design philosophy to business objectives). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Organize your portfolio around key projects, clearly outlining the problem, your role, your process, the solution, and the results/impact.

• Showcase the "Why": Explain the rationale behind your design decisions, not just the final screens. Discuss trade-offs considered.

• Highlight Design Systems: Dedicate specific slides or sections to demonstrate your experience with design systems and component libraries. Show examples of components, tokens, and documentation.

• Focus on Shipped Work: Ensure your presented projects are live products, and be prepared to discuss their real-world performance.

• Prepare for Design Challenges: If a live challenge is given, clearly articulate your approach, assumptions, and the rationale behind your proposed solutions. Focus on process and problem-solving.

• Quantify Where Possible: Use data and metrics to back up claims of user satisfaction or business impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating not just design skill, but also the operational capability to build and scale design processes within a fast-moving startup. Emphasize how your skills contribute to GTM efficiency and product success.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest shipped projects that best showcase your end-to-end design process, your experience with design systems, and your ability to solve complex user problems, particularly in consumer or health apps. Ensure each project clearly details your specific contributions and the outcomes.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight keywords relevant to product design, UI/UX, Figma, design systems, AI design, healthcare technology, and any experience with rapid iteration or startup environments. Quantify achievements where possible.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio, focusing on clear communication of your design process, decision-making, and impact. Be ready to discuss your experience with design systems and your collaboration style.

• Research Nolla Health: Understand their mission, products (Nolla Skin, NollaMD), target audience, and their unique approach to AI in healthcare. This will help you tailor your application and prepare for interview questions about company alignment.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.