Section 01
Typography
Typography is the foundation of every design decision. The typeface you choose signals who the brand is before the viewer reads a single word. Click any subsection below to expand it.
Every typeface belongs to a family. The family determines the emotional register — the story it tells before content is even considered. In pharma HCP advertising you will almost always work within the top four.
01 — Serif
Aa Bb Cc
Georgia · Times New Roman · Garamond · Libre Baskerville
AuthoritativeTraditionalTrustworthy
Small strokes at letter ends. Common in pharmaceutical print and editorial. Signals institutional credibility and scientific heritage.
02 — Sans-serif
Aa Bb Cc
Inter · Roboto · Open Sans · Helvetica Neue · Lato
ModernClinicalAccessible
No stroke endings. Dominant in digital HCP ads. Clean and legible at small sizes. The default language of pharma digital advertising.
03 — Slab Serif
Aa Bb Cc
Rockwell · Clarendon · Woodman
StrongGroundedImpactful
Bold, blocky serifs. Used for high-impact headlines and key efficacy stats. Signals confidence and authority when used with intention.
04 — Monospace
Aa Bb Cc
Courier · Roboto Mono · IBM Plex Mono
TechnicalData-forward
Equal character width. Rarely used in pharma ads but effective for data callouts or lab-style aesthetics in MOA campaigns.
05 — Display
Aa Bb
Impact · Display faces
ExpressivePersonality-driven
MLR concerns around legibility and tone. Rarely appropriate in pharma HCP work.
06 — Script
Aa Bb
Brush Script · Pacifico
WarmHumanEmotional
Mimics handwriting. Almost never used in HCP work. Occasionally appears in DTC patient-experience campaigns.
07 — Blackletter
𝔄𝔞 𝔅𝔟 ℭ𝔠
Old English · Fraktur
HistoricalOrnate
Medieval letterforms. Not used in modern pharma advertising. Know it for vocabulary only.
08 — Symbol / Icon Font
⬛ ◆ ▲ ●
Font Awesome · Tabler Icons
IconographicUI-ready
Blurs the line between typography and iconography. Relevant when you need scalable, color-flexible icons without image assets.
Sans-serif sub-classifications: Grotesque (utilitarian — Franklin Gothic), Geometric (precise, circle-based — Futura, Montserrat), and Humanist (warm — Lato, Gill Sans). These distinctions come up in brand system conversations — geometric says innovation, humanist says approachability.
Beyond the eight main families, designers regularly speak in sub-classification language. These are the distinctions that come up when discussing why a specific font was chosen for a brand system.
Within Sans-serif
Grotesque
Aa Bb Cc
Franklin Gothic · Akzidenz-Grotesk · Arial
UtilitarianNo-nonsense
Early sans-serifs, slightly irregular. Feels workhorse and unadorned. Common in institutional and government pharma materials.
Geometric
Aa Bb Cc
Futura · Circular · Montserrat · DM Sans
PreciseInnovativeForward-thinking
Built on perfect circles and straight lines. Very common in biotech and oncology. Says precision, innovation, and next-generation medicine.
Humanist
Aa Bb Cc
Gill Sans · Lato · Myriad Pro · Optima
WarmApproachableCalligraphic proportions
Based on calligraphic proportions, feels more human and less mechanical than geometric. Sometimes used in HCP when the brief calls for approachability. More common in DTC.
Within Serif
Old Style
Aa Bb Cc
Garamond · Palatino · Caslon
ClassicalWarmLiterary
Based on Renaissance letterforms. Warm and humanistic. Used when a brand wants to feel classically credible rather than modern.
Transitional
Aa Bb Cc
Times New Roman · Baskerville · Georgia
BalancedNeutralInstitutional
The middle ground. More contrast than old style, less extreme than modern. The workhorse of academic and medical publishing.
Modern
Aa Bb Cc
Didot · Bodoni · Libre Bodoni
High contrastElegantSophisticated
Extreme thick-thin stroke contrast. Feels fashion-forward and refined. Used in premium specialty pharma branding when the brand wants to signal exclusivity.
Variable fonts — worth knowing
Variable fonts contain the entire weight and width spectrum in a single file. Increasingly common in digital pharma ads because they allow fine-tuned weight control without loading multiple font files. You'll see this term in Figma and in conversations about web ad performance. They also allow intermediate weights — 450, 525 — that don't exist in traditional static font files, giving designers more precise hierarchy control than the standard weight scale allows.
In pharma digital ads variable fonts reduce file size and load time, which matters particularly for display banner units where the 150KB file size limit is a real constraint.
Why sub-classifications matter in client conversations: When a client says "geometric" or "humanist" they mean a specific feel and a specific set of associations. Being able to respond with concrete font names and personality implications shows design literacy beyond just naming fonts.
This is the strategic layer — the difference between following a brief and informing creative strategy. Every typeface choice makes an implicit argument about who the brand is. Here is the story each family tells and when you'd reach for it in pharma.
Serif — "We have been here a long time. Trust us."
Story
Carries institutional weight. References print, academia, medical journals. Says this is backed by science and history.
In pharma
Established brands that want to feel credible rather than cutting-edge. Legacy pharmaceutical companies, not biotech startups.
Avoid when
The brand wants to signal innovation, speed, or breakthrough science.
Sans-serif — "We are clear, direct, and modern."
Story
The default language of digital HCP advertising. Says we respect your time, here is the information. Clinical without being cold.
Sub-story
Grotesque = utilitarian and no-nonsense. Geometric = precision and innovation. Humanist = approachable and patient-centered.
In pharma
Dominant in digital HCP ads across all therapeutic areas. The safe, credible default.
Slab Serif — "We are confident and not asking permission."
Story
Assertive. Plants a flag. A bold efficacy stat set in a slab feels like a fact you cannot argue with.
In pharma
Impact headlines for key efficacy stats. Less common overall but powerful when used with intention.
Avoid when
The brand wants nuance, warmth, or a clinical tone. Slab says conviction, not dialogue.
Monospace — "This is data. This is evidence. This is exact."
Story
Signals lab culture, precision, raw information. Makes a statistic feel like it came straight from a clinical trial report rather than a marketing department.
In pharma
Effective for data callouts in MOA ads. Rarely used for full layouts — becomes inaccessible at scale.
Geometric Sans — "We are the future of medicine."
Story
The dominant language of biotech and oncology brands. Signals breakthrough science and forward-thinking positioning.
In pharma
Cell therapy, gene therapy, oncology startups. When the product itself is novel and the brand wants to match that novelty.
Script — "This is human. This is emotional."
Story
In the rare pharma context where script appears, it is almost always DTC and almost always about the patient experience — not data.
In pharma
Quality-of-life campaigns, not MOA ads. For HCP work it almost never belongs.
Display — "Look at me."
Story
Prioritizes personality over legibility at small sizes. Used to break through banner blindness.
In pharma
Essentially off the table for body copy. Risky even for headlines due to MLR concerns around tone. Occasionally appears in disease awareness campaigns.
The strategic move: When a client briefs a new campaign, map their therapeutic area and audience to one of these family stories before design starts. That's a defensible creative recommendation grounded in strategy, not just aesthetic preference.
These are the actual fonts found in EQ5's Figma files across active accounts. This is real data pulled directly from the Niktimvo, Zynyz, and related Incyte campaign pages. Each font is client brand-specified — EQ5 implements them, not selects them.
Incyte — Niktimvo, Zynyz, JAK Portfolio
Incyte's brand system uses a two-font pairing: a proprietary headline typeface and a clean geometric sans for body and supporting copy.
Headline / Display — Client Brand Font
F37 Incise
ProprietaryBoldMedium
Incyte's primary brand typeface. Used exclusively for headlines, key stats, and primary copy. A custom geometric sans-serif with sharp, precise letterforms — signals clinical precision and brand authority.
Weights used: Bold (most common), Medium
Sizes seen in files: 30–130px for headlines, 96–130px for landmark stats, 40–60px for subheadlines
Body / Supporting Copy
DM Sans
Geometric sansGoogle FontFree
Used for all supporting copy, footnotes, ISI text, and secondary labels. Clean, modern geometric sans-serif that complements F37 Incise without competing with it.
Weights used: Medium (most common), Bold, Regular
Sizes seen in files: 7–10px for ISI/legal, 12–16px for body copy, 20–32px for callouts
ISI / Legal Fallback
Arial
Web-safeISI onlyFallback
Appears only in ISI and legal copy blocks. A web-safe fallback that ensures regulatory text is always renderable regardless of font loading. Not used for any branded content.
Sizes seen in files: 8–32px, always Regular weight
Niktimvo — Additional Brand Font
CircularXX
GeometricPremiumNiktimvo-specific
Found specifically in Niktimvo Second Round and JAK Portfolio ads. The next-generation version of Circular Std — Incyte likely updated their brand system between campaigns. Geometric, precise, and premium-feeling.
Weights used: Black (impact stats), Bold, Medium, Book (body)
Sizes seen in files: 6–82px across all hierarchy tiers
Incyte Unbranded — OncLive Disease Awareness
The unbranded OncLive campaign uses a completely different font — suggesting it was intentionally designed to feel distinct from the Incyte brand system, as unbranded ads should not carry brand signals.
Display / Headline — Unbranded Campaign Only
Jockey One
Display serifCondensedUnbranded only
Used exclusively throughout the OncLive unbranded disease-state ads. A condensed display serif — assertive and attention-grabbing without carrying any Incyte brand identity. Makes sense for an unbranded campaign: the font itself signals disease urgency without pointing to any specific product. Only Regular weight used throughout. Sizes range from 32–100px. No body copy font found — suggesting these are primarily headline-driven layouts.
How the pairing works in practice
F37 Incise + DM Sans
F37 Incise leads as the expressive, brand-ownable headline font. DM Sans handles everything else. Clear contrast in weight and character — the headline is unmissably Incyte, the body is clean and readable without fighting it.
CircularXX as evolution
CircularXX replaces Circular Std in newer Niktimvo files — same family, upgraded. Both are geometric sans-serifs, suggesting Incyte's brand system has shifted toward a fully geometric palette (F37 Incise + Circular) rather than geometric headline + humanist body.
Why Arial in ISI
ISI and legal copy uses Arial as a safe fallback. This is intentional — ISI text must render correctly everywhere, including on systems that may not have brand fonts loaded. It also visually separates legal from branded content.
Unbranded = different font entirely
Jockey One in OncLive ads is a deliberate brand break. Using the Incyte brand font in an unbranded ad would imply brand connection — which defeats the purpose. A completely different typeface maintains the unbranded status.
Note on Mesoblast / Ryoncil: The Ryoncil Figma file was not accessible via our connected Figma account in this session. Font data for that campaign will be added when the file is shared or accessed directly. Based on Mesoblast's brand aesthetic, expect a similar geometric sans-serif pairing.
Note on Zynyz: The Zynyz page in the Figma file was empty at time of pull (June 2026) — the campaign may not yet have ad frames built. Font data will be added as the campaign develops.
Weight is the thickness of the letterform and the primary tool for signaling priority. Every weight carries a different story — combining them creates hierarchy.
Weight Scale
Thin / Light
The quick brown fox
ISI, legal copy, supplementary info. Recedes on purpose. Premium at large display sizes.
Regular
The quick brown fox
Body copy, MOA descriptions, supporting claims. Neutral, informative, not persuasive.
Medium
The quick brown fox
Subheadings, callout labels, button text. A subtle nudge without shouting.
SemiBold
The quick brown fox
Secondary headlines, stat labels, key phrases pulled from body copy.
Bold
The quick brown fox
Primary headline, key efficacy stat, brand name, core claim. If everything is bold, nothing is bold.
Black
The quick brown fox
Maximum impact — survival rates, landmark trial results. Once per ad, for authority.
Style variations
Roman / Upright — the default. Standard orientation for all body and headline copy.
Italic — signals categorical difference, not importance. In pharma: generic drug names, scientific terminology, study names, publication titles.
Oblique — mechanically slanted roman. Looks similar to italic but less refined. Avoid when true italic is available.
The meta-lesson: Weight tells a story about priority. Italic tells a story about distinction. When a layout feels cluttered, check whether the boldest thing is actually the most important thing.
Medium is the most underused weight in pharma ads. It's not loud enough to be a headline but heavier than body copy. Used well for subheadings, callout labels, and button text it makes a layout feel considered and refined. When a layout looks almost right but not quite — adding medium weight to a transitional element is often the fix.
If everything is bold, nothing is bold. This is the single most common weight mistake in pharma ad design. Bold is only meaningful in contrast to regular and light. Reserve it for the one or two elements that must win the hierarchy — then everything else can be regular or medium.
Hierarchy is the order in which a viewer's eye moves through a design. You are not leaving it to chance — you are engineering it. In a pharma HCP ad: headline → supporting stat → brand name → body copy → ISI.
The four hierarchy tiers
Primary — largest, boldest, most prominent
68% Overall Response Rate1
Secondary — supports and expands the primary
In pediatric patients with SR-aGvHD at Day 28
Tertiary — contextualizes without competing
RYONCIL® (remestemcel-L-rknd) is indicated for steroid-refractory acute Graft-versus-Host Disease in pediatric patients. Results based on the MSB-GVHD001 trial (n=55).
ISI — minimum size, maximum density
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: RYONCIL® (remestemcel-L-rknd) is for intravenous use only. Infusion-related reactions, including severe hypersensitivity reactions, may occur during or after infusion. Monitor patients during and after infusion...
The six hierarchy levers
Size
Most immediate signal. Bigger = more important. Instinctive — no explanation needed.
Weight
Heavier = more important. Works with size. A bold medium element can outrank a light large one.
Color & Contrast
A colored word in a black-and-white layout becomes primary instantly. ISI is gray on white — de-prioritized on purpose.
Placement
Top and center = primary. Bottom edge = legal. Violating this feels wrong even to non-designers.
Spacing & Isolation
White space around an element elevates it. Isolation signals importance.
Typography Style
Tracking, capitalization, line height. ALL CAPS = label. Wide tracking = premium. Tight leading = density.
The squint test: Squint at the ad until it blurs. Whatever your eye goes to first in the blurred version is your actual primary element. If it's not what it should be, the hierarchy needs fixing.
Defining primary vs. secondary: A primary element is the one thing you want the viewer to take away if they see nothing else. There is only one. If you have two primary elements, you have zero — they cancel each other out.
Defining primary vs. secondary is a creative strategy decision that happens before design starts. There is only one primary element. If you have two, they cancel each other out.
Three questions to identify the primary element
What is the single most compelling thing about this drug?
Efficacy? Safety profile? Mechanism? Speed of response? That answer is usually your primary element.
What does this HCP audience care most about?
A prescribing oncologist cares about survival data. A non-prescribing internist cares about when to refer. The primary element shifts by audience even within the same campaign.
What did the client define as the lead message?
In pharma this is defined in the brief or the copy matrix. The lead message is your primary element. Your job is to ensure the design actually reflects that priority — because sometimes a brief says one thing is primary but the design accidentally elevates something else.
The four-tier system in practice
Primary
One unmissable message
Largest, boldest, highest contrast, most prominent placement. Examples: key efficacy stat, core claim, emotional hook headline. Only one per ad.
Secondary
Supports and expands
Draws the eye after the primary has landed. Examples: supporting data point, mechanism callout, product name.
Tertiary
Contextualizes without competing
Readable but visually receded. Examples: indication statement, study footnote, dosing information.
Legal / ISI
Present because it must be
Smallest size, lightest weight, lowest contrast. Visually minimized as much as MLR allows.
The pharma-specific complication
In pharma the client, the medical team, and the legal team all have opinions about what should be prominent. Medical wants the mechanism visible. Legal wants the ISI legible. The brand team wants the logo large. The strategist wants the efficacy stat to lead.
Your job is to hold the line on hierarchy by making the argument that a cluttered ad serves nobody — not the brand, not the HCP, not the patient. Being able to articulate hierarchy in these terms is what makes you credible in those conversations.
The two-second test: If someone looked at this for two seconds and looked away, what would they remember? If the answer is your key claim or stat, the hierarchy is working. If the answer is unclear, or if they'd remember the logo or the ISI, something is off. This question is also powerful in client meetings when feedback gets vague — redirect to it and the conversation gets specific fast.
Spacing separates designs that look professional from designs that feel professional. Most people can't name what's wrong with a cramped layout — but they feel it immediately.
Kerning
Space between two specific characters. Usually handled by the font. Adjusted manually for headlines when a capital meets a curved letter.
Tracking (Letter-spacing)
Kerning applied uniformly. Wide tracking = elevated, premium. Pharma brand names (RYONCIL, NIKTIMVO) often use wide-tracked caps.
Leading (Line-height)
Vertical space between lines. Body copy: 1.4–1.6×. Headlines: 1.1–1.2×. Too tight = bleed. Too loose = disconnected.
White Space
Empty space around elements. Creates hierarchy, breathing room, and premium perception. A crowded ad feels desperate. A spacious ad feels authoritative.
The 8px grid — EQ5 standard
All spacing in multiples of 8. Every padding, margin, and gap comes from this scale:
8px — micro
16px — small
24px — medium
32px — large
48px — section
64px — major margin
1080×1080px ad unit — spacing standards
The dominant format at EQ5 for Meta and LinkedIn social ads.
Border margin
64px all sides. Leaves 952×952 working area. Text never clips on different devices.
Headline → body
24–32px gap. Connects tiers while separating them.
Body → CTA / stat
32–48px gap. Clear break between message and action.
Logo clearance
48–64px minimum from other elements.
ISI zone height
160–200px at bottom. Separated by a visible rule from content above.
ISI separator padding
24px above and below the rule line.
Margin vs. full bleed
Respect the margin when…
The message is the hero. You want a clinical or premium feel. The brand is type-forward. The primary element is a stat or headline.
Go full bleed when…
Emotion is the strategy. The image has a clear focal point. You need to break through banner blindness. The unit is large enough (1080×1080+).
The hybrid approach — most common at EQ5
Image fills one portion (top half or right two-thirds, full bleed to those edges) while text lives in a clean contained field with consistent margins. Gets emotional impact of imagery and legibility of a contained text zone. The default when the brief asks for both clinical credibility and human connection.
Spacing checklist: Are all margins consistent? Does every element have a clear spacing tier? Do grouped elements look grouped and separate elements look separate? Is there one element with the most breathing room? If you have to ask whether something needs more space, it needs more space.
Headline rules
More space above than below
Space above a headline should be greater than space below it. This anchors the headline to the content it introduces rather than floating from content above.
Tight leading
Headline leading: 1.1–1.2× the font size. Loose headlines feel disconnected. In small ad units the headline often gets the most generous white space of any element.
Watch for widows
A widow is a single word sitting alone on the last line of a headline. It makes the headline feel unresolved. Fix by adjusting tracking or manually breaking the line at a better point.
Ruthless editing in small units
In 1080×1080 or smaller, short punchy headlines are not a compromise — they are a requirement. The headline often is the only element with generous white space.
Body copy rules
Line length
Optimal readability: 45–75 characters per line. In narrow ad units this is often impossible — which means body copy must be ruthlessly edited down.
Leading
1.4–1.6× the font size. Standard comfortable range for screen reading. Never tighter in body copy.
Never justify
Never use justified alignment in ad units. It creates uneven word spacing that looks broken on screen.
Left-align default
Left-align as the default. Center-align only for very short copy — two or three lines maximum. Never center-align a full paragraph.
Proximity and Gestalt — grouping with spacing
Elements that are close together are perceived as related. Elements with space between them are perceived as separate. This Gestalt principle should drive every spacing decision:
Headline + stat
Should be close — they are one message.
Body copy
Clear gap from the headline — supporting content, not part of the primary message.
Logo + brand name
Should be grouped — they are one identity unit.
ISI
Visually separated from everything above — categorically different content. Violating this makes viewers unsure where the message ends and the legal begins.
ISI and MLR: MLR requirements dictate minimum legibility standards for legal copy but give flexibility in how it's spaced and sized. The ISI's dense spacing is a deliberate design decision — not just a dump of required text. Understanding this helps you advocate for layouts that handle it intentionally rather than as an afterthought.
Pairing is using two typefaces together — typically one for headlines, one for body. Goal: contrast without conflict. Most professional pharma ads use two fonts maximum. Almost none use three or more.
Rule 1 — Contrast in classification
Pair a serif with a sans-serif. Different enough in structure to create clear distinction without fighting.
Rule 2 — Harmony in personality
Both fonts must tell the same story. A geometric sans with a modern serif = precision. A geometric sans with a decorative script = incoherent.
Rule 3 — One font leads
One typeface is the headline font — expressive, the brand's personality. The other is the workhorse — neutral and readable. Never two expressive fonts competing.
Common pharma pairings
Pairing 01 — Biotech / Oncology
Montserrat Bold
Lato Regular for body copy
Geometric sans / humanist sans. Modern precision with accessible readability.
Pairing 02 — Established Pharma
Libre Baskerville Bold
Inter Regular for body copy
Serif headline / sans-serif body. Authority in the headline, clinical clarity in body.
Pairing 03 — Most MLR-safe
Inter Bold
Inter Regular
Inter Light
Single font family, multiple weights. Bold for headlines, regular for body, light for legal. Most cohesive and consistent across all touchpoints.
Every typeface choice makes an implicit argument about who the brand is. Here is the full personality map organized by story — with specific fonts and pharma application for each.
Precise / Clinical / Authoritative
Oncology · Rare disease · Biotech HCP
Typefaces
Geometric sans-serif, transitional serif
Fonts
Futura, Circular, Helvetica Neue, Inter, Times New Roman, Garamond
Use when
The brief is data-forward, stat-led, HCP credibility is the primary objective
"We have the data, we stand behind it, we are not here to persuade you emotionally."
Modern / Forward-thinking / Innovative
Biotech startups · Cell therapy · Gene therapy
Typefaces
Geometric sans-serif, variable fonts
Fonts
Montserrat, Plus Jakarta Sans, DM Sans, Aktiv Grotesk
Use when
The brand wants to signal breakthrough science and next-generation positioning
"We are building the future of medicine and you should be paying attention."
Warm / Approachable / Human
DTC · Primary care · Quality of life campaigns
Typefaces
Humanist sans-serif, old-style serif
Fonts
Lato, Nunito, Gill Sans, Myriad Pro, Garamond
Use when
The brief calls for empathy over data — patient experience, adherence, quality of life
"We understand what patients are going through and we designed this therapy with them in mind."
Trustworthy / Established / Institutional
Legacy pharma · Long track record brands
Typefaces
Transitional serif, grotesque sans-serif
Fonts
Georgia, Libre Baskerville, Franklin Gothic, Open Sans
Use when
The brand has a long FDA approval history and institutional credibility is the lead asset
"We have been here for decades, we have the evidence, you can trust us."
Urgent / Direct / No-nonsense
Oncology · Rare disease · Time-sensitive diagnosis
Typefaces
Slab serif, bold grotesque sans-serif
Fonts
Roboto Condensed, Rockwell, Clarendon
Use when
The disease state involves unmet medical need where delayed diagnosis has serious consequences
"This patient cannot wait, here is what you need to know right now."
Premium / Elevated / Sophisticated
Specialty biologics · High-cost therapeutics
Typefaces
Modern serif, light geometric sans-serif
Fonts
Bodoni Moda, Didot, Cormorant Garamond, Thin-weight Futura
Use when
The brand wants to signal refinement — often paired with generous white space
"This is a sophisticated therapy for a sophisticated clinician."
Technical / Data-forward / Evidence-based
MOA ads · Clinical trial detail pieces
Typefaces
Monospace, condensed sans-serif
Fonts
Roboto Mono, Courier New, IBM Plex Mono
Use when
The ad's primary job is to deliver clinical data in a way that feels unfiltered and scientifically rigorous
"This information comes straight from the science, unfiltered."
The three axes: Every typeface personality plots on — Time (historical vs. contemporary), Warmth (human vs. institutional), and Confidence (bold vs. understated). When a client says "it doesn't feel right," one of these axes is misaligned. Being able to name which one is the diagnosis.
Every typeface choice — and every design choice — can be evaluated on three axes. When a client gives vague feedback like "it doesn't feel right" or "something is off," this framework helps you diagnose what's misaligned and articulate a fix.
Axis 01
Time — Historical vs. Contemporary
Historical end: Serif, Old Style, Blackletter. Feels established, rooted, institutional. References the past as an asset.
Contemporary end: Geometric sans, variable fonts. Feels new, forward-looking, innovative. References the future.
Diagnostic: Does the typography feel like it belongs to a brand that has been here for decades or one that was founded last year?
Axis 02
Warmth — Human vs. Institutional
Human end: Humanist sans, script, old-style serif. Feels approachable, empathetic, patient-centered.
Institutional end: Grotesque sans, transitional serif, monospace. Feels clinical, authoritative, data-driven.
Diagnostic: Is this typography speaking to a doctor's intellect or their empathy? Which does this campaign need?
Axis 03
Confidence — Bold vs. Understated
Bold end: Slab serif, black weight, display. Assertive, makes a claim, asks to be noticed. Plants a flag.
Understated end: Light weight, modern serif, generous white space. Refined, lets the data speak, doesn't shout.
Diagnostic: Is the brand confident enough in its data to let it breathe, or does it need the typography to carry some of the persuasive weight?
How to use this in a client meeting
When a client says "it doesn't feel right," run through the three axes mentally before responding:
Step 1 — Identify which axis is off
Is the typography too historical for a brand that wants to feel innovative? Too institutional for a campaign that should feel empathetic? Too bold for a brand that should feel refined?
Step 2 — Name it specifically
"I think the issue is that we're sitting too far on the institutional end of the warmth axis for this particular indication — the disease state calls for more empathy in the typography."
Step 3 — Propose a specific fix
"If we swap the grotesque sans for a humanist sans on the headline and introduce slightly more letter-spacing, we can move the dial toward warmth without losing the clinical credibility of the overall layout." That's a strategic conversation, not a subjective one.
Why this matters at EQ5: For a campaign like SR-aGvHD (Ryoncil), the three-axis read is: slightly historical (FDA-approved, established science), institutional (HCP audience expects data), and confident but not aggressive (the patient population is pediatric — aggression in tone would feel wrong). That points to a transitional serif headline with a clean grotesque body, bold but not black weight, and generous white space. That's a defensible creative recommendation grounded in strategy.
Section 02
Color Palettes
Color sets an emotional tone in milliseconds — before typography, before layout, before content. This section covers everything from fundamentals to real palette data pulled from EQ5's Figma files.
Before getting to what colors mean, you need the vocabulary. These three properties come up constantly in client conversations and in Figma.
Hue
The color itself — red, blue, green, orange. What most people mean when they say "color." In hex codes, hue is the starting point.
Saturation
The intensity of the color. Fully saturated = vivid and aggressive. Desaturated = muted and calm. In pharma, saturation is a strategic lever — high signals urgency, low signals clinical restraint.
Value (Brightness)
How light or dark the color is. High value = pale sky blue. Low value = deep navy. Value creates contrast — the difference in value between text and background determines legibility. Two colors can share the same hue but feel completely different based on value and saturation. Incyte's brand blue and a hospital wall blue are both blue — the difference is value and saturation, not hue.
Why all three matter: When you're giving feedback on a design, being able to say "the saturation is too high for the clinical tone we want" or "we need more value contrast between the headline and background" is far more precise than "it feels too bright" or "it's hard to read." These are the words that turn subjective feedback into actionable direction.
Before picking a specific color, you're picking a temperature. That temperature sets the emotional register of the entire ad.
Warm Colors
Red · Orange · Yellow · Coral
UrgencyEnergyEmotionAdvance visually
Warm colors advance — they feel closer, more immediate. Physiologically raise alertness. In pharma: urgency, disease severity, activation, patient-centered warmth. An unbranded disease awareness ad can afford to go warmer because it's building emotional recognition rather than clinical credibility.
Cool Colors
Blue · Green · Teal · Cyan
TrustClinicalAuthorityRecede visually
Cool colors recede — they feel stable, controlled, authoritative. Physiologically lower alertness. In pharma: trust, credibility, clinical precision, innovation. The dominant temperature in HCP advertising globally because trust is almost always the primary emotional need.
The most effective combination — cool base, warm punctuation
+
+
Navy base + gold/amber accent + white. Says we are trustworthy AND there is urgency here. One of the most common and effective combinations in pharma HCP advertising — and exactly the palette EQ5 uses across Incyte campaigns. The warm accent does the emotional work; the cool base provides the credibility foundation.
The question to ask before picking a temperature: What does the HCP need to feel when they see this ad — urgency, trust, or both? That answer tells you the temperature before you've looked at a single color swatch.
The most effective pharma combination — cool base, warm punctuation. A cool background (navy, deep blue) with a single warm accent (gold, amber, orange) says two things simultaneously: we are trustworthy AND there is urgency here. This is the dominant palette structure in pharma HCP advertising and exactly what EQ5 uses across Incyte campaigns. The warm accent does the emotional work; the cool base provides the credibility foundation. Neither alone is as powerful as the combination.
Warm colors
Red
UrgencyDangerPassion
Most physiologically activating color. Raises heart rate. In pharma: used extremely carefully — full saturation reads as danger or warning. More commonly appears as deep crimson or burgundy. Almost never a primary drug brand color. More common in disease awareness where the goal is to create concern.
Orange
EnergyActivationHope
Warmer and more approachable than red. In pharma: one of the most versatile warm colors. Works well as accent on a cool base. Common in oncology where the disease demands urgency but the drug needs to feel like hope rather than alarm.
Gold / Amber
PremiumScientificValue
Yellow at full saturation reads as cheap. Muted to gold or amber it reads as premium, warm, and scientific. Appears in data visualization within ads — charting efficacy data where it needs to be visible without alarming. The dominant warm accent in Incyte's brand system.
Pink / Magenta
DermatologyHumanVisible condition
Warm pink into magenta territory. Common in dermatology and conditions with a visible, patient-facing dimension. Also used in rare disease when the brand wants to feel distinct from purple-dominant competitors.
Cool colors
Blue
TrustAuthoritySafety
The dominant color in global healthcare. If a pharma brand has no strong color direction they almost certainly end up in blue. The range within blue is enormous — navy says established authority, royal blue says modern confidence, pale blue says calm and gentle, cyan says technology.
Navy
PremiumInstitutionalSerious
Worth calling out separately because it dominates pharma HCP advertising. Navy is blue with high value depth — serious, premium, institutional without being cold. Pairs with almost everything. EQ5's brand is navy. Incyte's brand system uses navy heavily.
Teal / Cyan
InnovationTechnologyBiotech
Blue-green territory. Bridges clinical credibility with technological innovation. Common in biotech, precision medicine, genomics, cell therapy. EQ5's accent color is cyan — same signal: technology-forward clinical company.
Green
SafetyPositive outcomePermission
Complex in pharma. Consumer health: natural and safe. HCP pharma: needs careful deployment — can feel too casual. When used clinically it usually signals a positive endpoint — a response, remission, safety advantage. Common in data visualization as the responder color.
Purple / Violet
Rare diseaseSophisticatedScientific
Strongly associated with rare disease advocacy and branding. If you see purple as a primary brand color the therapeutic area is almost certainly rare disease or oncology. Also carries a premium quality — purple alongside gold reads as exclusive and high-value.
Deep Purple / Indigo
Precision medicineImmuno-oncologyCutting-edge
Between blue and purple. Carries both trust signals of blue and sophistication of purple. Used in precision medicine and immuno-oncology brands signaling both credibility and cutting-edge science. Incyte's primary brand color sits in this territory — #2D177D and #2C017C.
Neutrals
White
Not passive — an active design choice. White space signals confidence: the brand has enough to say that it doesn't need to fill every pixel. Premium pharma brands use generous white. It is a luxury signal as much as an aesthetic one.
Near-black
Authority and weight. Used for premium positioning and high-contrast layouts. In pharma appears as very dark navy rather than pure black — softens without losing gravitas. Common as a background in high-stakes oncology campaigns.
Gray
The workhorse neutral. Light gray = refined background. Medium gray = secondary copy. Dark gray = softer alternative to black for headlines. ISI text is almost always some shade of gray — technically legible, visually receded.
Contrast is the difference in value between two elements — most commonly text and its background. Hue difference alone does not create legibility. Value difference does.
WCAG AA — Minimum Standard
Regular text: 4.5:1 | Large text: 3:1
The international standard for digital accessibility. Regular body text needs 4.5:1 contrast ratio against its background. Large text (18px+ bold or 24px+ regular) needs 3:1. Pharma digital ads should meet AA at minimum.
WCAG AAA — Enhanced
Regular text: 7:1 | Large text: 4.5:1
Enhanced accessibility standard. Not always required but good practice for body copy in ads that need to be legible across different screen brightnesses and conditions.
Real contrast ratios to know
Black on white — 21:1
Maximum possible. The universal default for body copy. Always passes.
Dark navy on white — ~15:1
Still very high. Why navy brands use navy text rather than pure black without sacrificing legibility.
White on Incyte purple — ~8:1
Passes AAA for large text, AA for body. Standard branded headline treatment.
White on medium gray — ~2:1
Fails AA. One of the most common contrast mistakes in pharma ad design. MLR will catch it.
Pharma-specific contrast issues
ISI contrast
MLR does not use WCAG for ISI — it uses its own guidelines around minimum font size and legibility. Practical rule: ISI should be readable by someone with normal vision at intended viewing distance. If you squint and the ISI disappears entirely, it will get flagged.
Text on imagery
Contrast is unpredictable on photographs. Solutions: semi-transparent dark overlay, solid color band behind text, strategic cropping so text lands on a uniform area, white text on dark areas with subtle shadow.
Color blindness
~8% of men have some color vision deficiency — most commonly red-green. Never use color as the only way to encode meaning in a chart. Always pair color with a shape, pattern, or label difference. Responder charts: green/red bars need additional differentiation.
How to check in Figma
Select a text element and open the accessibility panel — it shows the contrast ratio and flags AA/AAA pass/fail. Also use contrast-ratio.com or the Figma plugin Able for any two hex values.
The compliance argument: If a client asks for light gray text on white for anything other than ISI, you can say: "That combination falls below the AA contrast threshold which could create issues in MLR review." That turns a subjective design conversation into an objective compliance conversation.
Pharma has developed strong color associations over decades. Understanding them means you can follow them intentionally or break them intentionally. Neither should happen by accident.
Oncology
Navy, deep blue, purple, and black dominate. Warm accents — orange or gold — for urgency or hope. Generous white space. The palette signals serious, sophisticated, high-stakes. A dark background with a single bold accent is almost always oncology.
Rare Disease
Purple so strongly associated it has become a category signal on its own — adopted from rare disease patient advocacy. Heavy white space. Feels exclusive and specialized rather than mass-market.
Immunology / Autoimmune
Teal, blue-green, cyan. The color of precision — these drugs work at the cellular level and the color signals that biological specificity. Some autoimmune brands lean warmer when the condition has a visible, patient-facing dimension.
Cardiovascular
Red and deep crimson — the literal color of blood. Combined with white and gray for clinical credibility. Red is usually controlled and purposeful — a brand color rather than an alarm signal.
Respiratory
Blue and light blue dominate. Sky, air, open, breathable. Clean palette that aligns with the physical sensation the treatment is meant to restore.
Dermatology
Most visually expressive therapeutic area. Skin tones, warm neutrals, coral, peach — colors referencing patient experience directly. More human and warm than any other area. Opzelura sits here.
Pediatrics
Noticeably warmer and brighter than adult therapeutic areas. Not primary-color bright — still HCP advertising — but saturation lifts. Ryoncil is an interesting case: extremely serious disease, pediatric patients — creates pressure to be warmer without being inappropriately light.
Neurology / Psychiatry
Indigo, deep purple, midnight blue. Reference the brain, consciousness, and depth. Sometimes warmer purples for conditions with emotional components. The palette wants to feel both scientific and empathetic simultaneously.
When breaking convention is strategic
Breaking therapeutic area color
A cardiovascular drug that avoids red. A rare disease brand that avoids purple. Done well: immediately distinctive. Done without intention: just feels wrong. Always be able to articulate why.
Warm accent in a cool therapeutic area
A warm accent in an oncology ad says hope in a category that is usually dark and serious. The color equivalent of the Ryoncil "going home" theme — using warmth to signal possibility within a serious disease context.
The question to ask about any brand palette: Does this palette belong to this therapeutic area — and if not, is that a deliberate strategic choice or an accident? If deliberate, what is the brand signaling? That framing turns a subjective color conversation into a strategic one.
Color by brand maturity
New drug launches
Higher saturation · more distinctive
Novelty is the message so the color signals freshness and differentiation. A new drug in a crowded therapeutic area needs to look visually distinct from established competitors. Higher saturation, more unexpected color choices, more willingness to break therapeutic area conventions.
Established brands
Restrained · authoritative · consistent
Deep navy, controlled use of accent color, generous white space. The brand has earned its credibility and doesn't need to shout. The color says we have been here and we are staying. Consistency across touchpoints becomes the primary color goal — recognition over novelty.
A palette is not a random collection of colors — it has an internal logic that determines whether colors feel harmonious or chaotic. These are the structural types you need to know.
Monochromatic
One hue, multiple values
Extremely cohesive and restrained. Common in pharma brands that want to feel unified and authoritative. The variation in value creates hierarchy without introducing color tension. Very MLR-safe.
Complementary
Opposite hues on the color wheel
High energy and contrast. The Incyte palette — deep purple-blue plus gold — is a complementary pair. Creates visual tension that feels dynamic and impactful. The dominant structure in pharma ads that need urgency within authority.
Analogous
Adjacent hues on the color wheel
Harmonious and calm. Colors that naturally belong together. A blue to teal to green range feels cohesive and scientific. Less tension than complementary — better for brands that want to feel stable rather than energetic.
Triadic
Three evenly spaced hues
Vibrant and balanced. Rare in pharma HCP because it can feel too playful or consumer-facing. More common in DTC or patient materials where engagement and energy are valued over clinical restraint.
Neutral + one accent
The most common pharma structure
Black or navy + white + gray + one brand accent. Everything neutral except the single accent which carries all the emotional and brand weight. The accent becomes instantly recognizable because nothing else competes with it. Niktimvo's magenta pink works this way.
How color creates hierarchy
Color as a hierarchy lever
A single colored element in a neutral layout becomes primary instantly — no size or weight change needed. The most saturated, highest-contrast color in an ad is where the eye goes first. This means color is not just a brand decision — it is a hierarchy decision.
These are the actual colors found in EQ5's Figma files across active Incyte campaigns, sorted by frequency of use. All data pulled directly from Figma in June 2026.
Incyte brand system — Niktimvo, ASCO, Social Pages
Incyte runs a complementary palette — deep purple-blue as the primary brand color, gold as the warm accent. Consistent across all Niktimvo campaign pages.
#2D177D
Deep purple-blue — Primary brand
Most usedBrand primary
The dominant brand color across all Niktimvo and ASCO ads. Deep indigo-purple that sits between blue and violet — signals immuno-oncology precision and authority. Used for backgrounds, headers, and primary branded elements.
#FDB515
Gold — Warm accent
AccentStats & highlights
The primary warm accent. Used for key stats, callout highlights, and CTA elements. Complementary to #2D177D on the color wheel — creates the urgency-within-authority tension that defines the Incyte palette. Also appears as #F3A900 and #FCB414 (slight variations).
#2C017C
Deep violet — Brand dark
Brand darkNear-black
A darker, more saturated variant of the primary purple. Used where the brand needs to feel deepest and most authoritative — large background fields, overlay treatments. Almost identical to #2D177D to the eye but richer.
#101921
Near-black — Premium dark
BackgroundsPremium
Used for dark background treatments — not pure black but a very deep navy-black. Signals premium, high-stakes positioning. Appears in both Niktimvo and ASCO ads. Common in oncology work where the disease demands gravity.
#005CAB
Royal blue — Secondary brand
SecondaryLinks & UI
A standard institutional blue used for secondary branded elements and links. Bridges the deep purple primary with white backgrounds without the warmth of the gold accent.
#ED1A8C
Magenta pink — Niktimvo specific
Niktimvo brandGVHD accent
A vivid magenta that appears specifically in Niktimvo Second Round ads. Likely product-specific branding for axatilimab — differentiating Niktimvo within the Incyte portfolio. Warm, vivid, and immediately distinctive against the deep purple base.
Neutrals and system colors
Gray scale — hierarchy system
#FFFFFF white for content areas. #D9D9D9 light gray for dividers and subtle backgrounds. #A3A2A7 medium gray for secondary labels. #767476 and #97999B for ISI and footnote text.
Data visualization colors
#00E486 bright green and #6CB22F forest green appear in efficacy data charts — responder indicators. #C98508 amber appears in data callouts. These are functional colors for encoding clinical data, not brand colors.
Incyte unbranded — OncLive disease awareness
#4339FF
Electric blue — Unbranded primary
The dominant color in the OncLive unbranded disease awareness ads. A highly saturated, vivid blue — completely different in character from Incyte's deep purple brand color. High saturation signals urgency and disease severity. Intentionally carries no Incyte brand association.
#D627C9
Vivid magenta — Unbranded accent
A vivid magenta accent used in the unbranded campaign. Electric and high energy — appropriate for disease awareness work where breaking through is the primary goal. Combined with electric blue it creates an attention-commanding palette completely distinct from Incyte's brand.
Why unbranded uses completely different colors: Using Incyte's purple-and-gold palette in an unbranded disease awareness ad would imply brand connection — which defeats the purpose of unbranded advertising. The electric blue and magenta of the OncLive ads are intentionally jarring relative to the Incyte brand system. They belong to the disease, not the drug.
Note on Mesoblast / Ryoncil and Zynyz: Color data for Ryoncil and Zynyz will be added as those Figma files become accessible. Based on Mesoblast's brand aesthetic, expect a cooler, more restrained palette appropriate for pediatric rare disease.
Section 03
Layout & Placement
Layout determines not just how things look but how they're experienced — the sequence, the flow, the emphasis. This section covers grids, reading patterns, element placement, ad format specs, and compositional strategies for pharma HCP ads.
A grid is not decoration — it is organization. It determines where elements can be placed and gives a layout its bones. Without a grid, every placement is a judgment call. With a grid, placement is systematic and consistent.
Grid vs. spacing — the distinction: The grid is the floor plan — it tells you where rooms are, how they're divided, what's load-bearing. Spacing is the furniture arrangement within those rooms — how much breathing room each element has. The grid answers where. Spacing answers how much. You need both.
The four grid types
Column grid
The most common in advertising. Canvas divided into equal columns with gutters between them. Elements sized and placed to span one or more columns. Gives you compositional flexibility — halves, thirds, quarters.
Baseline grid
Horizontal lines that text sits on. Ensures all type across different sizes aligns at consistent vertical intervals. In EQ5 the 8px spacing system functions as the baseline grid — all vertical positions are multiples of 8.
Modular grid
Both columns and rows creating a matrix of cells. Appears in pharma when an ad organizes multiple data points — efficacy endpoints, comparison charts, or multi-product layouts.
Manuscript grid
A single large text area with defined margins. What a type-forward pharma ad uses — one primary content area, clear margins. The ISI zone creates a second horizontal division giving it a two-row manuscript structure.
EQ5 confirmed grid — 1080×1080px
Margins
64px all sides. Leaves 952×952 working area.
Columns
4 columns at ~222px each with 16px gutters. Four columns was chosen because it lets you do halves (2+2), quarters, and 1+3 splits cleanly — covering the vast majority of layout decisions in a social pharma ad without over-engineering.
Spacing system
8px intervals for all vertical and horizontal spacing.
Gutter
16px between columns — both a placement boundary and a spacing value. It is the only point where grid and spacing are the same thing.
Why 4 columns specifically
In a 1080×1080 ad unit the content is relatively sparse — a headline, a stat, some body copy, a logo, and an ISI block. You don't need 12 columns for that. A split layout (image left, text right) uses 2 columns for each half. A centered headline spans all 4. A two-column stat callout beside body copy uses 1 and 3. Four columns is enough flexibility without adding complexity. Landscape units (800×450, 728×90) use 6 columns because they have more horizontal real estate and need finer compositional control across the wider canvas.
Three functional zones — 1080×1080px
Primary zone — top ~570px
Visual · Headline · Key stat
The largest zone because it carries the most important content. This is where the eye goes first and where the primary message lives. Everything in this zone competes for first attention — only the primary element should win.
Secondary zone — next ~220px
Supporting copy · Indication · URL
Below first attention but well within the readable area. Contextualizes and extends the primary message. Contains everything the HCP needs to act — the indication, the destination URL, supporting claims.
ISI zone — bottom ~160px
ISI text · Fair balance reference · Separated by 1px rule
Always placed first when designing — everything else builds upward around it. Dense, small, light weight. The ISI's position and treatment is so standardized that MLR reviewers expect it. Moving it anywhere else creates compliance concerns. Size is determined by the amount of required safety text, not design preference.
Always place the ISI first — this is a workflow rule, not just a design principle. The ISI is the least flexible element on the canvas. Its size is determined by the amount of required safety text, not by design preference. If you design the content area first and try to fit the ISI afterward you almost always run out of space and are forced to compromise either the content or the ISI — both of which create MLR problems. Start with the ISI zone, confirm it accommodates the full required text, then build everything else upward.
Design for two seconds. Social ads in a Meta or LinkedIn feed receive approximately two seconds of attention before the viewer scrolls past. Every layout decision should be evaluated against this constraint. If the primary message cannot be absorbed in two seconds — if the viewer has to read, not scan — the layout has failed. The Incyte 130px stat approach is calibrated exactly for this: the number is the entire message, readable in under one second.
Understanding how the eye moves through a layout determines where your primary element should land. For 1080×1080 social ads, the Z-pattern is almost always the right model — viewers are scanning, not reading, for roughly two seconds.
Z-Pattern — for sparse, visual layouts
① Entry top-left
② Top-right
④ Bottom-left
⑤ Logo bottom-right
③ Stat/headline — diagonal
Eye starts top-left → moves to top-right → cuts diagonally through center → bottom-left → bottom-right. The diagonal cut through center is the most powerful position — where the key stat or headline should live. This is why product logos almost always anchor bottom-right — it's the final brand impression after the message has landed.
F-Pattern — for text-heavy layouts
Eye reads across the top, drops, reads a shorter pass, drops, then scans down the left edge. Applies when the ad has high text density — multiple endpoints, comparative data. When an ad shifts to F-pattern it means there's too much copy and the primary message is getting lost.
Center-dominant — for data-forward square ads
68%
Overall Response Rate
In square formats the eye is naturally drawn to center. Many 1080×1080 pharma ads use fully centered layouts — large stat or headline centered on canvas, supporting elements radiating outward, logo and ISI anchored to the bottom edge. Works especially well for data-forward ads where the stat IS the entire message. The Incyte ads with 130px F37 Incise Bold stats use this model.
For 1080×1080 social ads — always design for scanning, not reading. Two seconds of attention. The primary element needs to be immediately obvious without the viewer making any effort. If you have to read the ad to understand it, the layout has failed.
These elements appear in virtually every branded pharma ad. Their placement follows conventions so established that deviating requires intentional justification.
Brand / Product Logo
Bottom right or bottom left
Always bottom — never top in digital social ads. The logo anchors the ad without leading it. Bottom placement means the viewer has absorbed the message before seeing who's saying it. Never the largest element — a logo that dominates is a hierarchy failure.
Headline / Primary Claim
Upper third to center
Intercepts the eye early. Center placement on a clean background gives maximum isolation and weight. Largest text element on the canvas — F37 Incise Bold at 40–100px in Incyte ads depending on claim length.
Key Efficacy Stat
Center canvas — often the entire focal point
In data-forward HCP ads the stat IS the headline. HCPs respond to numbers. The number itself at 80–130px. A secondary label at much smaller size contextualizes it. The contrast between number size and label size creates the impact.
Supporting / Body Copy
Below headline, lower half of working area
Read after the primary message lands. Left-aligned almost always. Never centered unless two lines or fewer. 14–20px in 1080×1080 units. Should feel like the footnote to the headline's thesis — present but not competing.
Indication Statement
Below supporting copy, above ISI separator
Required by MLR in branded ads. Placement below primary message means the viewer has received the brand message first. Often set lighter than body copy — Regular or Light weight — to signal reference information rather than primary messaging.
ISI Block
Always bottom — separated by rule line
Regulatory requirement. Defined zone — bottom 15–20% (~160–200px in 1080×1080). Small, dense, light weight. In Incyte files: DM Sans Regular or Arial Regular at 7–10px, gray, tight leading. Always placed first in the design process.
Fair Balance / PI Reference
Within or immediately above ISI block
"Please see Important Safety Information and full Prescribing Information." Placement immediately adjacent to the ISI reinforces that they are part of the same legal communication layer.
Destination URL / CTA
Bottom of content zone or near logo
Two common positions: bottom of content zone just above ISI separator (reads as part of message), or anchored near the logo (reads as brand identity). In static social ads typically a simple URL — ryoncilhcp.com, niktimvohcp.com.
Visual / Image
Full bleed, split layout, or inset
Three treatments: full bleed (entire canvas, text overlays — emotional campaigns), split (image one half, text the other — most common in 1080×1080), inset (bounded by margins — supporting rather than leading).
Data Visualization / Chart
Center canvas — replaces imagery entirely
In data-forward HCP ads the chart IS the primary visual. Common in ASCO congress materials. Clearly labeled axes, bold data lines, brand color for treatment arm, gray for comparator. For some HCP audiences a clear efficacy chart communicates more than any headline.
Standard reading order top to bottom in a 1080×1080 branded pharma ad: Visual or headline (emotional entry) → key stat or primary claim (persuasive core) → supporting copy + indication + URL (context and action) → ISI separator rule → ISI text (regulatory) → logo (final brand impression).
Proximity and Gestalt in layout: Elements that are close together are perceived as related. Elements with space between them are perceived as separate. This Gestalt principle governs every placement decision. Your headline and stat should be close — they are one message. Your body copy needs a clear gap from the headline — it is supporting content. Your logo and brand name should be grouped — they are one identity unit. Your ISI must be visually separated from everything above — it is categorically different content. Violating proximity makes viewers unsure where the message ends and the legal begins.
Social — Meta (Facebook & Instagram)
Feed Static — Primary EQ5 Format
1080 × 1080px · 1:1 square
Most usedJPG / PNG30MB max
Grid: 4 columns, 64px margins, 8px system
Zones: Primary 570px · Secondary 220px · ISI 160px
Copy limits: Headline 40 chars, Primary text 125 chars before "See More"
Note: Design mobile first — majority of Meta impressions are mobile
Zones: Primary 570px · Secondary 220px · ISI 160px
Copy limits: Headline 40 chars, Primary text 125 chars before "See More"
Note: Design mobile first — majority of Meta impressions are mobile
Stories & Reels
1080 × 1920px · 9:16 vertical
JPG / PNG / MP430MB / 4GB
Safe zone: Keep content 250px from top and bottom — UI elements overlay those areas
Grid: 4 columns, 48px margins
ISI: Typically runs as scrolling ISI or final card
Video duration: Up to 60s for Stories, 90s for Reels
Grid: 4 columns, 48px margins
ISI: Typically runs as scrolling ISI or final card
Video duration: Up to 60s for Stories, 90s for Reels
Carousel
1080 × 1080px per card · 2–10 cards
1:1 squareJPG / PNG30MB per card
Each card is its own 1080×1080 unit with the same grid and zone structure. Good for multi-concept storytelling, step-by-step content, or running ISI as a final card on branded ads. Headline per card: 40 chars. Primary text: 125 chars shared across all cards.
Social — LinkedIn
Feed Static
1200 × 627px or 1080 × 1080px
JPG / PNG5MB max
1200×627px (landscape): 6 columns, 48px margins
1080×1080px (square): Same grid as Meta feed — 4 columns, 64px margins
Copy limits: Headline 70 chars, Intro text 150 chars before truncation
Audience: Strongest channel for specialist HCPs by title and specialty
1080×1080px (square): Same grid as Meta feed — 4 columns, 64px margins
Copy limits: Headline 70 chars, Intro text 150 chars before truncation
Audience: Strongest channel for specialist HCPs by title and specialty
Carousel
1080 × 1080px per card
JPG / PNG5MB per card2–10 cards
Same grid as Meta carousel. Good for multi-endpoint storytelling and ISI management across cards. LinkedIn carousel performs particularly well for data-heavy HCP campaigns where the audience wants depth.
Display / Programmatic (IAB Standard Sizes)
Programmatic display ads are served across the open web via DSPs. For pharma HCP campaigns EQ5 uses NPI-targeted programmatic through platforms like DeepIntent and Doceree. Multiple sizes are typically required for a single campaign buy.
Medium Rectangle — Workhorse
300 × 250px
Most commonRuns everywhere
Grid: 2 columns, 12px margins
Zones: Content ~185px · ISI ~65px
Safe zone: 10–15px from edges
Note: If you only have bandwidth for one display size, start here — runs on more placements than any other unit.
Zones: Content ~185px · ISI ~65px
Safe zone: 10–15px from edges
Note: If you only have bandwidth for one display size, start here — runs on more placements than any other unit.
Leaderboard
728 × 90px
Desktop top/bottomHorizontal
Grid: Single row, 8px margins
Layout: Logo left · headline center · CTA right
ISI: Extremely limited space — reference only ("See ISI")
Note: Too narrow for full ISI — always links to ISI page
Layout: Logo left · headline center · CTA right
ISI: Extremely limited space — reference only ("See ISI")
Note: Too narrow for full ISI — always links to ISI page
Half Page
300 × 600px
High visibilityPremium placement
Grid: 2–4 columns, 24px margins
Zones: Visual 200px · Primary 150px · Supporting 100px · ISI 100–150px
Safe zone: 10–15px from edges
Note: Enough vertical space for a more complete ISI block than leaderboard
Zones: Visual 200px · Primary 150px · Supporting 100px · ISI 100–150px
Safe zone: 10–15px from edges
Note: Enough vertical space for a more complete ISI block than leaderboard
Mobile Banner
320 × 50px
Mobile webTop or bottom
Layout: Extremely constrained — logo + short claim + CTA only
ISI: Not possible at this size — link to ISI page required
Note: Part of standard programmatic delivery sets alongside 300×250
ISI: Not possible at this size — link to ISI page required
Note: Part of standard programmatic delivery sets alongside 300×250
Wide Skyscraper
160 × 600px
Desktop sidebarTall format
Grid: Single narrow column, 12px margins
Zones: Stacked vertically — visual, headline, supporting, ISI
Note: Narrow width limits copy — visual and stat-forward layouts work best
Zones: Stacked vertically — visual, headline, supporting, ISI
Note: Narrow width limits copy — visual and stat-forward layouts work best
Billboard
970 × 250px
Large formatDesktop top
Grid: 6–8 columns, 32px margins
Layout: Most horizontal real estate of any IAB unit — can accommodate image zone + copy zone + CTA zone side by side
ISI: Bottom strip ~50px
Layout: Most horizontal real estate of any IAB unit — can accommodate image zone + copy zone + CTA zone side by side
ISI: Bottom strip ~50px
Display technical specs — all formats
File types
JPG, PNG, GIF (static or animated), HTML5. HTML5 must be delivered as a self-contained ZIP built in Google Web Designer or Animate CC.
Max file size
150KB per unit. Some networks allow up to 200KB. Far more constrained than social — no 30MB files here.
Animation
Max 15 seconds. Must stop after 3 loops (IAB standard). Cannot loop infinitely.
Border rule
1px solid border required if the ad has a white background — prevents the ad from blending invisibly into the page.
Safe zone
Keep key content 10–15px from edges on all display units to avoid clipping by publisher templates.
Standard delivery set
Always confirm with the media team. Minimum for most programmatic buys: 300×250, 728×90, 320×50. Ask before building — sizes vary by platform and publisher.
EQ5's primary format is 1080×1080px social. Display banner sets are ordered when campaigns include programmatic HCP targeting through Doceree or DeepIntent. The 300×250 is the essential unit — if budget or time is constrained, it runs on more placements than any other display format.
A compositional strategy is the overall visual logic of how an ad is structured — beyond the grid and zones, it's the creative decision about what relationship the image, text, and brand elements have to each other.
Strategy 01 — Most common at EQ5
Split layout
Image occupies one half, text occupies the other with clean margin. The most common structure in 1080×1080 pharma ads. Gets emotional impact of imagery and legibility of a contained text zone simultaneously. Image left or right, text on the opposite side.
Strategy 02 — Data-forward
Stat-centered
68%
Overall Response Rate
The key efficacy stat is the visual and the headline simultaneously. Everything else radiates outward from it — brand color as background, supporting label below the number, logo anchored at bottom. Used when the data is so compelling it needs no supporting imagery. The Incyte 130px F37 Incise ads use this approach.
Strategy 03 — Emotional
Full bleed with text overlay
Image fills the entire canvas. Text overlays on a dark area or with a semi-transparent overlay band. Used in disease awareness and unbranded campaigns where the emotional resonance of the image is the primary communication. Requires careful contrast management for legibility.
Strategy 04 — Clinical
Type-forward with color field
Brand color fills the background. No photography — only typography and graphic elements. Feels most clinical and brand-authoritative. Used for ads where the brand itself is the credential — the color says I am Incyte, the font says trust this data. Very MLR-clean because there are no image-approval issues.
Strategy 05 — Chart-first
Data visualization as hero
p<0.001
The efficacy chart occupies the primary zone — no lifestyle photography. Headline and brand elements surround it. Used in congress materials (ASCO) and detail-oriented HCP campaigns where the data architecture is the message. Requires clear chart labeling, brand color for treatment arm, gray for comparator.
Strategy 06 — Awareness
Headline-dominant unbranded
Don't let GVHD
stop them
stop them
Large, bold headline dominates the canvas. No product name, no ISI. Brand color that differs from the product brand system — intentionally unbranded. Used for disease awareness campaigns before the product enters the conversation. The OncLive unbranded ads use this approach with Jockey One font and electric blue.
Choosing a compositional strategy: Ask what the primary job of this specific ad is. If it's building emotional connection — full bleed or headline-dominant. If it's delivering data to a skeptical HCP — stat-centered or chart-first. If it's establishing brand authority — type-forward color field. If it's doing both — split layout. The strategy should follow the brief, not the designer's preference.
Section 04
Sizing
Sizing creates hierarchy through scale — the difference between your largest and smallest elements matters more than their absolute pixel values. This section covers sizing principles, confirmed EQ5 size data from Figma, and scale contrast strategy.
Sizing works on two levels simultaneously. Both matter — but relative size is the more powerful of the two because it's what the viewer actually perceives.
Absolute size
The actual pixel measurement of an element. A 96px headline versus a 14px body copy label. Determines legibility and physical presence on the canvas.
Relative size
The size of one element compared to everything around it. A 40px headline surrounded by 8px labels feels enormous. The same 40px headline next to a 36px subhead feels barely differentiated. Context is everything.
The three sizing decisions on every ad
Decision 01
What is the largest element?
This is the primary hierarchy decision. The largest element announces what the ad is about. In data-forward HCP ads that's the efficacy stat. In emotional campaigns that's the headline. In brand-authority ads it might be the logo — though that's rare and usually a mistake.
Decision 02
What is the size relationship between tiers?
Each tier should be noticeably smaller than the one above. A useful starting framework: primary at 100%, secondary at 50–60%, tertiary at 25–30%, legal at 10–15%. These aren't rigid but give a starting point for clear differentiation.
Decision 03
What is the minimum readable size for the smallest element?
ISI and footnote text defines the floor. In digital pharma ads the practical minimum for ISI is the scrolling ISI component — set at 32px within a clipped 266px tray, which renders visually as dense fine print. Everything else must be sized upward from that floor. Below true legibility it will get flagged in MLR review.
Sizing by format: Size decisions cannot be transferred proportionally between formats. A 1080×1080 design at 28% scale is a 300×250 — but type sizes, spacing, and visual weight all need to be re-evaluated for that new canvas, not just reduced. Recalculate from scratch for every format in a campaign.
All values confirmed directly from the Incyte Niktimvo Figma files. These are the actual sizes Yevhen uses — not estimates.
Typography sizes — 1080×1080px
Primary stat / display headline
60–130px
F37 Incise Bold. 96px and 130px most common for landmark efficacy stats. 60–80px for shorter headline claims. The scale contrast between this and body copy (16px) is what creates visual impact.
Subheadline / supporting claim
30–60px
F37 Incise Bold or Medium. 38px confirmed in multiple frames as the supporting subhead size. 48px for secondary claims that need more presence.
Body / supporting copy
14–32px
DM Sans Medium. 16–20px is the workhorse range for body copy. 32px appears in MOA and detail-heavy frames where longer copy blocks need more legibility at social feed size.
Abbreviations / footnotes
16–22px
DM Sans Regular or Medium. Abbreviation lines, study name footnotes, and supporting references that need to be present but not compete with body copy.
ISI text
32px — in scrolling component
DM Sans Regular and Bold. Set at 32px within a scrolling ISI component (4103px tall) clipped to a 266px visible tray. Renders visually as dense fine print. The "300x" naming refers to 300% zoom for MLR review.
ISI header labels
32px Bold
DM Sans Bold for ISI section headers (WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS, ADVERSE REACTIONS, etc.). Same size as body ISI text but differentiated by weight — bold versus regular.
Logo sizes — 1080×1080px
Corner anchor logo
358 × 157px
Placed at x=92, y=92 — sitting exactly on the 8px-grid-aligned margin. 33% of canvas width. Used when logo anchors top-left as a brand identifier while the primary content zone takes center stage.
Featured / prominent logo
572 × 251px
53% of canvas width. Used when the logo is doing more brand work — layouts where brand identity is a primary visual element rather than a supporting anchor. Notably larger presence.
Structural zones — 1080×1080px
ISI tray
1080 × 266px — full canvas width, starts at y=814. Exactly 24.6% of canvas height. Confirmed across all Niktimvo frames.
Content zone
1080 × 814px — from top of canvas to ISI separator. This is everything branded — headline, stat, supporting copy, logo, imagery.
MOA artwork panel
973 × 651px at x=53, y=778 — partially overlapping the ISI zone with a rounded top-right corner (rx=45px) and gold (#F3A900) border.
Large imagery
382–427 × 424–474px — 35–40% canvas width. Often extends beyond canvas edge for bleed effect. Uses luminosity blend mode at 80% opacity.
Medium imagery
200–288 × 222–320px — 18–27% canvas width. Mid-ground layer in Yevhen's stacked image approach.
Small imagery
85–135 × 94–150px — 8–12% canvas width. Peripheral accent images adding texture and depth.
Scale contrast is the ratio between your largest and smallest elements. Strong scale contrast creates immediate, unmissable hierarchy. Weak scale contrast creates a flattened, muddy layout where everything fights for attention equally.
Strong scale contrast — Incyte approach
96px stat
38px subhead
16px body copy
Roughly 6:1 ratio between primary and body. The stat is unmissable. The hierarchy is immediately obvious. The viewer knows exactly what this ad is about in under one second. This ratio — confirmed from the Niktimvo Figma files — is the benchmark for strong scale contrast in pharma HCP social ads.
Weak scale contrast — common mistake
24px headline
20px subhead
16px body copy
Only 1.5:1 ratio between headline and body. Everything feels the same weight. The eye doesn't know where to start. The layout reads as a wall of text rather than a composed hierarchy. This is what happens when sizes are chosen by feel rather than by ratio.
Recalculate for every format
Size decisions cannot be transferred proportionally between formats. A 1080×1080 design at 28% scale is a 300×250 — but type sizes, spacing, and visual weight all need to be re-evaluated for that new canvas from scratch, not just reduced. A 96px stat in a 1080×1080 is commanding but not overwhelming. The same 96px stat in a 300×250 would occupy a significant portion of the canvas — too dominant for supporting copy to breathe alongside it. Every format requires its own sizing decisions starting from first principles.
The ISI sizing mistake
The most common sizing failure in pharma ads is ISI creep — the ISI grows during review as legal and medical teams push for legibility, until it visually competes with the primary message. The ISI should be technically readable and nothing more. Hold the line on ISI size by making the compliance argument — MLR defines minimum legibility standards, not minimum visibility standards.
The 8px sizing system: All type sizes at EQ5 should snap to the 8px system — 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 20, 24, 32, 40, 48, 60, 64, 80, 96, 128px. The confirmed Figma files show sizes like 7px and 9.7px which are scaled versions of elements — the actual set sizes are always multiples of 8 or close to it. When setting type in Figma, always use a value from this scale.
Section 05
Imagery
Imagery sets emotional context before a word is read. In a two-second feed impression it's often the first thing that registers. This section covers imagery categories, photography vs. illustration, campaign stage mapping, and confirmed EQ5 imagery approach from Figma.
Imagery decisions are strategic decisions, not aesthetic ones. The choice of photograph or illustration is a claim about the campaign's emotional positioning before any copy is read. Imagery does something typography and color cannot — it communicates who this is about and what world they live in. In a two-second feed impression imagery is often the first thing that registers, setting the emotional context into which every other element lands.
Category 01
Patient lifestyle photography
AwarenessBranded awarenessDTC
Shows the patient's world — at home, with family, living normally. The specific moment matters enormously and is not interchangeable: patient looking out a window = waiting and uncertainty. Patient with family at dinner table = restoration and normalcy. Patient walking outside = freedom and recovery. These communicate different emotional arcs — choosing the wrong moment undermines the campaign strategy even if the image is beautiful. For Ryoncil the "going home" theme lives entirely here — two infusions per week for four weeks, then home. The imagery should be that reunion moment, not the hospital.
Category 02
Clinical / medical photography
Branded awarenessHCP credibility
Shows the clinical environment — physician reviewing data, lab setting, medication close-up. Emotional register is credibility and medical authority. Risk: can feel generic when stock imagery is used. Strongest clinical photography feels specific and authentic rather than illustrative.
Category 03
Abstract / scientific rendering
MOABiotechMechanism
3D renders of cells, molecules, receptors, or biological structures. Emotional register is scientific, innovative, and precise. The Niktimvo approach — layered 3D macrophage renders in cool blue-gray with luminosity blend at 80% opacity — is the confirmed EQ5 standard for immuno-oncology MOA work.
Category 04
Data visualization as imagery
CongressEfficacySpecialist HCP
Charts, graphs, and Kaplan-Meier curves used as the primary visual element. No photography — the data IS the image. Emotional register is evidence-based and authoritative. The ASCO congress ads in the Incyte Figma files use this approach with a framed MOA artwork panel.
Photography
RealHumanEmotional
Feels real, human, and specific. Grounds the ad in the actual world. Creates emotional connection faster because the viewer sees people and places they recognize.
Risks: Dates quickly. Can feel stock and generic. Requires model releases and usage rights. In pharma, patient representation (race, age, condition) is scrutinized by MLR.
Risks: Dates quickly. Can feel stock and generic. Requires model releases and usage rights. In pharma, patient representation (race, age, condition) is scrutinized by MLR.
Illustration / 3D render
ControlledConceptualMechanism
Can communicate concepts photography can't — molecular mechanisms, abstract biological processes, stylized data. Sidesteps representation and licensing issues.
Risks: Can feel cold or disconnected from human stakes. MOA illustration needs to work harder to create emotional resonance.
Risks: Can feel cold or disconnected from human stakes. MOA illustration needs to work harder to create emotional resonance.
The hybrid approach — most common in pharma
Photography for emotional context, illustration or data visualization for clinical content. Appears in ads that need to serve both the emotional and rational decision-making of an HCP simultaneously. The Niktimvo ads use scientific 3D renders (abstract imagery) for the mechanism while the headline and copy carry the emotional and clinical message — a form of hybrid that keeps imagery in its lane.
Top of funnel — Unbranded disease awareness
Lifestyle or emotional photography
Goal is recognition and identification. The HCP needs to see a patient they recognize before they hear about a treatment. Imagery leads — it creates the emotional context into which the disease message lands. The OncLive unbranded campaign uses no imagery at all — pure typographic — which works when the headline itself carries the emotional weight.
Mid funnel — Branded awareness
Lifestyle with brand color overlay or split
Goal is associating the drug name with a positive patient outcome. Photography provides the emotional hook, brand elements provide the identity. Often a split layout — image on one half, brand color and copy on the other. The "going home" moment for Ryoncil lives here.
Mid funnel — Branded efficacy
Clinical or data-forward
Goal is convincing a skeptical HCP that the data supports the drug. Photography takes a supporting role or disappears entirely in favor of charts and stats. The landmark efficacy stat at 96–130px is the primary visual — no imagery competes with it.
Bottom of funnel — MOA / mechanism
Abstract or scientific illustration
Goal is explaining how the drug works. Photography of patients is irrelevant — what matters is the visual representation of the science. The Niktimvo 3D macrophage renders sit here — the imagery literally shows the cells the drug targets.
The one question: What does the HCP need to feel when they see this ad — urgency, trust, hope, or scientific curiosity? That answer determines the imagery category before any creative brief is written.
From pulling the actual Niktimvo ad frame in Figma and viewing the rendered screenshot, here is exactly what EQ5's imagery approach looks like in practice.
Niktimvo — 3D scientific cell renders
What the imagery is
3D renders of macrophages — the specific immune cells that axatilimab targets via CSF-1R blocking. Not patient lifestyle photography. Not stock clinical imagery. The visual literally depicts the mechanism of action before any text is read.
Color treatment
Cool blue-gray rendering on a light blue gradient background — creating a monochromatic, clinical, sophisticated visual field. Luminosity blend mode at 80% opacity makes the cells feel atmospheric rather than literal. They recede into the background while remaining scientifically specific.
Yevhen's layering technique
Multiple image rectangles layered at different sizes and positions — large (~427px), medium (~288px), small (~135px) — some extending beyond the canvas edge for a bleed effect. Creates visual depth and richness without a full-bleed layout. Text and brand elements sit in a clean foreground zone in front of this layered image system.
MOA artwork panel
A framed scientific illustration panel (973×651px) at the bottom of the content zone — "Axatilimab_MOA_MainArtwork-CMYK" — bordered in Incyte gold (#F3A900) with a rounded top-right corner (rx=45px). Functions as a contained scientific visualization within the layout rather than a background element.
OncLive unbranded — no imagery
The OncLive unbranded disease awareness ads use no imagery whatsoever — pure Jockey One typography on electric blue (#4339FF). This confirms that the 3D cell renders are a Niktimvo brand and mechanism choice, not a general EQ5 design default. Unbranded work strips all brand signals including the imagery category.
The pattern: EQ5's imagery choices are mechanism-driven and campaign-specific. The imagery is chosen because it communicates the drug's scientific story, not because it fills the layout. The question is always — does this image carry information that advances the campaign's argument? If not, it doesn't belong.
Image contrast
Text landing on an image needs sufficient contrast. Dark text on a light area or light text on a dark area. If neither is naturally present: use a semi-transparent overlay, a color band, or crop so text lands in a uniform area. Never rely on drop shadows to solve a contrast problem — they are an MLR risk.
Subject looking direction
Faces and figures have directional energy. A face looking right pulls the viewer's eye right. This should direct toward the primary message, not away from it. A figure looking away from the headline creates visual tension and confusion — always check the relationship between subject gaze and copy placement.
Representation
MLR scrutinizes demographic representation in patient photography — race, age, and gender must reflect the actual patient population for the indication. SR-aGvHD is a pediatric disease — adult patients in a Ryoncil ad would be a compliance issue. Always cross-reference patient imagery against the indication statement.
Licensing and usage rights
All photography must have appropriate usage rights for the specific channels, geographies, and durations of the campaign. This is a legal and production consideration creative strategy informs but doesn't control. Raise the question early — imagery licensing delays are one of the most common reasons pharma campaigns miss launch dates.
Section 06
Iconography
Icons are functional shorthand — not decoration. Every icon must earn its place by communicating something faster or more clearly than a word or image can. This section covers the four icon types, rendering styles, storytelling strategy, common pharma icons, and EQ5's confirmed iconography approach.
Type 01
Functional icons
CTAsNavigationActions
UI-style icons indicating an action or category — arrows, checkmarks, download symbols, external link indicators. Appear in digital ad units with interactive elements and near URLs. Almost always outlined. The most utilitarian type and the most common in digital pharma.
Type 02
Data icons
EndpointsDosingCategories
Visual anchors for clinical categories — syringe for injection route, calendar for dosing, figure for patient population. Appear in detail-heavy HCP ads where multiple data points need visual anchors to be scannable. Function as wayfinding within a dense information environment.
Type 03
Brand icons
SystemTouchpointsRecognition
Custom graphic elements specific to a brand system — a particular arrow shape, a specific molecule graphic. Sit between icon and illustration. Used consistently across all touchpoints as a recognition signal. Only valuable as part of a system — a brand icon without a system is just a decorative shape.
Type 04
Mechanism / disease icons
MOACellsPathways
Abstract or semi-literal symbols representing a disease mechanism, biological process, or treatment pathway. The most pharma-specific category. Appear in MOA-focused HCP ads as the primary visual rather than supporting icons. When used well communicate the biological story faster than any body copy.
Outlined
LightModernDigital-native
Stroke-only, no fill. Feel light, modern, and technology-forward. Signal precision and clarity. The dominant style in contemporary UI design and pharma brands that want to feel innovative. Sit quietly without competing with heavier elements. Best for secondary or supporting information — wayfinding, category labels, UI actions.
Filled
HeavyEmphaticLegible at small sizes
Solid shape, no visible stroke. Feel heavier, more emphatic, and more legible at very small sizes. Better for primary indicators where the icon needs to be immediately recognizable at a glance. A filled checkmark reads faster than an outlined one at 16px. Best for symptom markers and category indicators that need to hold up at small sizes.
Duotone / two-weight
SophisticatedPremiumBrand systems
A combination of filled and outlined elements within the same icon — typically a solid base shape with a lighter outlined detail. Feels sophisticated and intentional. Common in premium brand systems that want visual richness without the heaviness of fully filled icons.
Literal vs. abstract
Literal icons
Directly represent their subject. A syringe for injection. A heart for cardiovascular. A lung for respiratory. Communicate immediately but can feel generic — every pharma brand using a heart for cardiovascular is saying the same visual thing. Good for functional and data icons where universal legibility matters.
Abstract icons
Represent concepts through simplified shape language. An arrow system for treatment pathway. A geometric form for cellular mechanism. Require more visual language knowledge to decode but allow for brand-specific expression that differentiates from category conventions. Good for brand and mechanism icons where distinctiveness matters.
Functional icons — use when
The ad asks the viewer to do something
Appear at the end of the narrative arc — after the claim has landed, when the viewer is ready to act. The punctuation mark at the end of the message, not the opening line. Never use to decorate — only to direct. Do not use in pure awareness ads where no action is being solicited.
Data icons — use when
There is too much information to read linearly
Appear mid-layout — after the primary claim, before the body copy detail. Organize supporting information so it feels navigable rather than overwhelming. Use when there are three or more distinct data points needing visual separation. Do not use when there is only one or two data points — a single orphaned icon draws attention away from the stat itself.
Brand icons — use when
The brand system needs to travel across touchpoints
Can appear anywhere in the layout — their job is identity rather than information. Only valuable as part of a system. Do not use for a one-off campaign or when the format is too small for the icon to register as a system element rather than a random graphic.
Mechanism icons — use when
The ad needs to communicate science visually
Appear in the primary visual zone — they are not supporting elements, they are the primary message carrier in MOA-focused ads. Replace lifestyle photography as the hero visual. Use when the primary audience is a specialist HCP who wants to understand how the drug works, not just that it works. Do not use when the primary message is efficacy data rather than mechanism.
Icon types mapped to the campaign funnel
Top of funnel — unbranded awareness
No icons typically. The emotional story is told through typography and lifestyle photography. Icons feel too clinical and systematic for a campaign building emotional recognition.
Mid funnel — branded awareness
Brand icons if the brand system has them. Mechanism icons if the drug's MOA is the differentiator. The narrative is transitioning from disease to solution — the icon marks that transition.
Bottom funnel — branded efficacy
Data icons to organize multiple endpoints. Functional icons to drive the conversion action. The narrative is data-forward and action-oriented.
Congress / medical education
Mechanism icons and data icons both. The audience is deepest in clinical detail. Icon systems that organize complex data are at their highest value here — the ASCO ads use this approach.
The one question before adding any icon: Is this icon carrying information that cannot be communicated more efficiently by a word or a number? If yes — the icon earns its place. If no — it is decoration and should be removed. That question will make you one of the most useful people in any creative review.
Functional — CTAs and navigation
Arrow CTA
Outlined circle with right-pointing arrow. Universal "go here" signal. Appears near URLs and destination links. Almost always outlined — heavy filled arrows feel aggressive next to clinical copy.
Download / PI indicator
Downward arrow with document base. Signals prescribing information or resource access. Common in detail-heavy HCP ads where the PI is a conversion goal.
External link
Box with arrow pointing outward. Standard web convention indicating the viewer will leave the current context. Appears alongside HCP website URLs.
Data — clinical information anchors
Safety warning / triangle
Alert triangle with exclamation. Used for adverse reaction callouts and boxed warning references. Never use casually — it carries regulatory weight.
Efficacy checkmark
Circle with checkmark. Signals a positive endpoint or response. Often appears in green for the treatment arm in comparison layouts. Pair with a label — never use alone in pharma.
Patient figure
Simplified human silhouette. Used to anchor patient population data — N=55 patients alongside a figure icon. More humanizing than a raw number alone.
Calendar / clock
Dosing schedule and treatment duration. One of the most common data icons in pharma — dosing frequency is a key prescribing decision and often needs visual anchoring.
Route of administration
IV infusion syringe
Syringe with downward-pointing needle. Standard for intravenous administration. Niktimvo is IV — this icon would appear in any dosing detail context.
Oral tablet / capsule
Pill shape or capsule outline. Standard for oral administration — one of the most common routes in pharma advertising.
Topical / cream
Hand or skin-application graphic. Appears in dermatology campaigns — Opzelura (ruxolitinib cream) would use this route icon.
Mechanism / disease
Cell / receptor
Circle with orbital rings or receptor sites. Abstract cellular representation. Appears in immuno-oncology and precision medicine ads. The Niktimvo 3D macrophage renders are an elevated version of this concept.
Pathway arrow / cascade
Curved or stepped arrow representing a biological cascade. Used to visualize treatment pathways and mechanism sequences in MOA ads.
Inhibition / blocking
Circle with blocking line or X. Represents a drug's inhibitory mechanism — axatilimab blocks CSF-1R, for example. One of the most common mechanism icon concepts across immuno-oncology.
Niktimvo — no traditional icons
The Niktimvo social ads use no traditional icon system. The 3D macrophage renders function as a form of mechanism icon scaled to imagery size — but they are illustrations rather than icons in the functional sense. The brand relies on typography and scientific imagery rather than an icon vocabulary. This is appropriate for immuno-oncology HCP work where the visual language is scientific and sophisticated rather than navigational.
OncLive unbranded — no iconography
The unbranded disease awareness ads use no icons at all — pure typography. This confirms EQ5's approach: iconography is purposeful and campaign-specific, not a default design element applied to every layout.
The EQ5 pattern: Icons are used when the brief explicitly calls for categorization or wayfinding within a dense information environment. They are not added by default. When they are used they should be designed as a coherent system with consistent rules — same stroke weight, same color treatment, same spatial padding — not assembled from different sources. That discipline is what makes an icon set work as a system rather than a collection of one-offs.
Icon sizing in pharma ads
Category markers / data anchors
48–80px — large enough to read clearly at feed size on mobile. The right range for symptom markers, clinical endpoint anchors, and category labels.
UI elements / arrows / links
24–32px — standard UI scale. Small enough to be unobtrusive, large enough to be tappable on mobile.
Decorative / graphic elements
120–200px — used as large graphic elements in the background or layout structure rather than functional symbols. Not icons in the traditional sense.
Icon system vs. one-off
An icon system has consistent visual rules — same stroke weight, same corner radius, same level of detail, same spatial padding within a consistent bounding box. The visual test: cover the labels. Do the icons still look like they belong to the same family? If yes, it's a system. If some feel heavy and some feel light, if stroke weights vary, if some have rounded corners and others don't — it's a collection of one-offs that won't cohere when placed side by side in a layout.
MLR legibility
Icons must be legible and unambiguous. An icon that could be misread is an MLR risk — particularly if it sits near a clinical claim. The more abstract an icon, the more likely it is to receive MLR scrutiny. Always pair abstract icons with a text label.
Accessibility
Icons used as the sole communication of a concept create accessibility problems — screen readers cannot interpret them. In pharma digital ads where accessibility compliance matters, icons should almost always be accompanied by a text label.
Color — one color rule
Icons in pharma ads almost always appear in brand color or white on brand color. A multi-color icon in a clinical HCP ad adds visual complexity that the ad doesn't need. Single-color, single-weight treatment is the standard.
System vs. one-off
If icons are used in a set — three or four category markers in a row — they must form a coherent system. Consistent stroke weight, corner radius, level of detail, and spatial padding. Icons assembled from different sources never cohere and always make the layout feel disorganized.