The Craft with May Globus

Zach Bulick has a genuinely kind and open spirit, underpinned by an intuitive sharpness that unearths itself once in conversation with him. The longtime designer has forged a career in a number of industries, from institutions and nonprofits Union Gospel Mission to agencies Burnkit, Domain7 and now global firm Versett, where he is currently a designer, facilitator & strategy lead.

Born in Dallas, Texas, he is the only child of an academic father and a fun, nurturing mother. His family soon moved to British Columbia, settling in Langley where his father was the vice president of student life at Trinity Western University. Surrounded by university students and essentially growing up on campus and in dorms, Zach spent his childhood here until he was 13-year-old, when the family went back to the States. He returned to Vancouver for university, and because it somehow always felt like home.

Once back in the Pacific Northwest, he began to immerse himself deeper into the world of human-centered design, building a thriving career within it and continuing to expand his passion for design thinking.

In this conversation, we explore his childhood in both the States and Canada; his pursuit of design in university and why he felt drawn to it; a short chapter living in Wales, UK; how his mentors have touched his life in different ways; what design thinking means and putting humans back at the center of design experiences; things he’s been pondering around purpose & impact since a recent birthday; emerging trends & hot topics in design; learning to create space for oneself; and more.

Show Notes

Zach Bulick has a genuinely kind and open spirit, underpinned by an intuitive sharpness that unearths itself once in conversation with him. The longtime designer has forged a career in a number of industries, from institutions and nonprofits Union Gospel Mission to agencies Burnkit, Domain7 and now global firm Versett, where he is currently a designer, facilitator & strategy lead.   

Born in Dallas, Texas, he is the only child of an academic father and a fun, nurturing mother. His family soon moved to British Columbia, settling in Langley where his father was the vice president of student life at Trinity Western University. Surrounded by university students and essentially growing up on campus and in dorms, Zach spent his childhood here until he was 13-year-old, when the family went back to the States. He returned to Vancouver for university, and because it somehow always felt like home.

Once back in the Pacific Northwest, he began to immerse himself deeper into the world of human-centered design, building a thriving career within it and continuing to expand his passion for design thinking.

In this conversation, we explore his childhood in both the States and Canada; his pursuit of design in university and why he felt drawn to it; a short chapter living in Wales, UK; how his mentors have touched his life in different ways; what design thinking means and putting humans back at the center of design experiences; things he’s been pondering around purpose & impact since a recent birthday; emerging trends & hot topics in design; learning to create space for oneself; and more.

TIMESTAMPS:

4:00 - Growing up
7:17 - What Zach’s parents were like
11:40 - Zach as a kid/teen
13:35 - Transition from Langley to Texas
18:16 - What brought him back to B.C.
20:37 - Being the “Canadian”
22:56 - The journey to design
27:52 - Zach’s life in Wales
29:22 - Freelancing and internship at Burnkit
32:53 - Zach’s mentors
38:12 - What Design Thinking is
41:18 - What his feelings are around his internal shift and reflections
48:14 - Emerging design
51:24 - Recent insights in accessibility design
54:45 - Good boundaries and protecting your energy
01:02 - Is Zach proud of where he is at
01:04 - Final question

What is The Craft with May Globus?

The Craft is a collection of intimate conversations on artistry, mastery & life with talented, passionately curious creatives and entrepreneurs. These dialogues are an intersection of their disciplines, backstories, why they do what they do, their way of living - an exploration of the humanity that connects us all.