We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Zach Christy a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Zach, thanks for joining us today. What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry?

Throughout my career I have been able to do work for some really large companies and organizations and it seems like while everyone is good-intentioned, by the time a piece is delivered, it has touched too many hands and too many people have had a say. And because of that, the messaging becomes watered down and the content is often forgettable.

A lot of times agencies or companies hire creative people, but because of red-tape or in many cases, egos, they do not let the creatives actually do what they were hired to do. I am not saying that creatives are not the only people who have good ideas, but I do think sometimes the best ideas get pushed down because the people who were hired to create the ideas aren’t the final decision maker.

Since there is so much much content out there these days, it takes a lot to actually stand out. Delivering something that isn’t watered down or touched by a million people’s ideas for the most part delivers the best results often, in my opinon.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Like a lot of people who do motion graphics, I started off as a video guy. I wanted to be an editor for movies– especially documentaries. But, I lived in an area where those opportunities were few and far between and I fell more into the advertising world. Most of the work the agency I was working for was doing was for banks and hospitals and while effective, was not necessarily the most creative editing work. So, I searched for something I could pivot to and discovered motion graphics. And since then I have been building a business in design and motion graphics that has spanned across a number of industries, from tech to non-profit to news to advertising to UI/UX. And with that I have grown and learned what it takes to be a valued partner to whoever I am currently doing work with. And, I think that’s what is the most important– that it is a partnership.
Whether it is a title sequence or an animated package or an explainer or a single shot, I talk to the company and figure out what I think would work best for them and we discuss possibilities before diving right in. There are a lot of talented people in my field, but I think the soft skills of truly understanding what is best for the client and getting to a common solution is the best thing for all parties.
The most successful pieces I have done have not been me just making something cool, but rather understanding the needs of the client who is hiring me for my services.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

In 2020, I became a dad. And while it may sound cliche, I want to make sure I am always able to provide for him and give him all of the opportunities I can. So, if that means pushing myself to learn more and keep up with things, that is an easy choice to make.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

This may sound simple, but being doing what I have said I was going to do has probably helped me more than anything in my career. I don’t overpromise often and even in those cases, I manage to get things done. If there is ever an extreme issue, I bring it to the forefront right away and don’t try and hide it. Honesty goes a long way and people are generally understanding if things comes up.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.zachchristydesign.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachinpublic/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachchristy/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Zachinpublic