Hey, I’m Zach

I conduct user research, build products, analyze data, write books and develop experiences.

From humble startups to software used by millions, I’ve had a blast designing things that people love. At Intralinks, I work on their Virtual Data Room and authentication application. Previously, I helped build an employer self-service portal at Unum, led the design of a enterprise portal at Tyler Technologies and before that I worked in Saudi Arabia teaching people how to not drown if they fell off an oil rig. Join me as I continue to explore tech and share what I learn through it all.

  • Senior Product Designer at Intralinks

  • Based in Freeport, ME

  • Bentley University Masters Degree in Human Factors in Information Design

  • Prompt Engineering Certification

  • Senior Product Designer at Intralinks

  • Based in Freeport, ME

  • Bentley University Masters Degree in Human Factors in Information Design

  • Prompt Engineering Certification

View My Quick Summary

Products I’ve worked on

Globally adopted software, high converting websites, emerging technology and beyond. This is a detailed chronicle of the stories, processes and results behind a curated selection of projects that I’ve led and contributed to.

Empowering self-service

Empowering self-service

Problem The existing Employee Self-Service portal was created in the early 2000’s with little to no research or design thought applied to creating a pleasurable user experience. I was asked to conduct a heuristic analysis of the existing portal, interview…

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Easing cattle transactions

Easing cattle transactions

Michael wanted to update the look of Cattle Market Mobile, the app he developed in 2012. He knew the

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Designing physical products

Problem Design and sell a profitable, quality wedding card box that people would want to purchase and display at their...

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Improving scheduling tools

The creators of Helm found the current scheduling tools for float centers to...

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Innovating the subway

Problem BVG, Berlin's public transit provider, sponsored a hackathon in Berlin where they sought solutions to fix German's transit problems....

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Customizing weddings

We conducted a litany of research into the current offerings people had for purchasin...

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Timeline of design

2016 - Khobar, Saudi Arabia

My design journey

I knew that I was going to depart Saudi Arabia in 10 months time, but I had no idea what I was going to do for work. A hit-and-run car accident and a serendipitous blog post sent me on the user-centered journey that would change my life, centering it around improving people’s lives through building experiences around their needs.

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Articles I wrote

Spare Me an Alley

When I was ten, a near-perfect spare at a dingy local bowling alley became a family legend — and years later, it shaped how I approached my ethnographic research on bowling. My observations showed that most people bowl not to meet new people, but to spend relaxed, low-pressure time with friends and family. This is a dramatic shift from bowling’s heyday in the mid-20th century, when alleys — including those in church basements — were vibrant social hubs that encouraged mingling between groups.

Today, even though professional bowling has declined, local alleys are still bustling, revealing a strong demand for shared, offline social activities. Yet, modern alleys often devote large areas to bars and lounges that sit mostly empty while lanes are packed. My research suggests a mismatch between how alleys are designed and how people actually use them. If owners prioritized adding more lanes instead of expanding non-bowling spaces, they could better serve the way communities engage with the activity now — as a social constant that, like baseball once did, anchors people in shared experience.

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Culture, Waving and Bowling

I explore how culture shapes everyday behavior, starting with a definition I found on an anthropology forum: “Culture is the learned, shared understanding of what everything means and how to behave.” I illustrate this with the example of drivers waving at others with the same car model, showing how we belong to multiple overlapping cultures but choose which to identify with in specific moments.

I then examine bowling culture, comparing its social past to its more isolated present. While films like The Big Lebowski and Kingpin highlight the quirks of bowling, modern bowling alleys show that people now bowl in small groups or alone, rarely interacting with others outside their lane. Despite spaces designed for socializing and cultural markers like lane etiquette, personalized balls, and bowling shirts, interaction between groups has largely disappeared. This reflects a broader cultural shift toward individual isolation, making contemporary bowling a more contained, insular experience than the communal activity it once was.

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Research Driven Design

Pretty pixels aren’t the answer.

Today, many UX designers will tell you that user testing is king. Testing has it’s place but I believe the first phase in the design process, research, is more important. Part of being a UX designer is developing empathy for people. This is impossible if you think you already know the solutions to your target audience’s problems. If you don’t discover what people’s real pain points are it doesn’t matter if you solve them effectively or not.

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12 Tips for Conducting Effective User Interviews

User interviews are one of my most effective research methods, allowing me to ask in-depth questions and truly understand users’ problems. Below, I share how I became proficient over time and outline practical steps for conducting successful interviews including how to determine the right number of participants, find the right people through social media, email, or recruitment services, and offer incentives like cash or gift cards to encourage participation. I describe my structured but conversational opening statement, which builds trust and sets expectations, and I emphasize creating rapport so participants feel comfortable sharing openly.

I highlight the importance of asking broad questions first, letting people speak without interruption, and recording interviews (with permission) to focus on the conversation and capture details accurately. I keep organized records, analyze data in spreadsheets to find patterns, and prioritize findings to guide design decisions. Finally, I remind readers not to stress about their first interview—skills improve with practice.

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Kind words

“Zach’s contributions to his peers is remarkable. His design deliverables, from user research through to wireframes and prototypes, are all high caliber and well thought out.”

Ava Yazdani

Industry Account Executive, SAP

“My initial plan was just to update the layout. However, Zach produced ideas that not only improved the visual aspects of the app, but also greatly improved the user’s overall experience.”

Michael Whitt

Owner/Developer, Cattle Market Mobile

“Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Rhoncus mattis rhoncus urna neque viverra justo nec ultrice.”

Matt Farley

InMentor, Designer, Developer

Industry reads