zeke zalinski
We are the experiences
we have and create.
Origin & Arc
The two most significant roles of my career, I didn't apply for. Someone who had watched me work raised their hand and said my name.
At Siteworx, I was Creative Director of their first Chicago office. One of the front-end developers on my team later landed at Maestro Health — a 30-person healthcare startup with a CTO who needed someone who could own the full delivery model: wireframe, concept, design, and boardroom. That developer didn't hesitate. I got a lunch. I got the job. I spent five years at Maestro building the UX department, the process model, and a suite of custom applications that replaced paper with something people actually wanted to use.
The CTO I built that relationship with eventually moved to VelocityEHS — and called me again. Not to apply. To come in, look at what was broken, and fix it. I spent a year as a senior designer, quietly assessing. Then I was handed the keys.
That's not a career built on applications and interviews. It's a career built on trust, craft, and the kind of work that makes people remember your name when it matters.
Leadership Philosophy
I think about design organizations the way a good architect thinks about buildings — the structure has to work before the surfaces can be beautiful. Process, documentation, scope clarity, cross-functional trust: these aren't bureaucratic overhead. They're what let designers do their best work without burning out or reinventing the wheel every sprint.
I've built departments from scratch and restructured ones that weren't working. In both cases, the first job is the same: understand the people, understand the gaps, and earn the trust of the team before you change anything. The org chart is the last thing you touch, not the first.
I also believe the best design leaders stay close to the craft. Not to micromanage — but because you can't lead what you don't understand. I still sketch. I still push pixels when it matters. I still sit in the room when the hard UX problem needs to be solved. That's not a weakness in a director. That's the difference between someone who leads design and someone who manages designers.
Experience Through Life
I'm an experience person. I draw inspiration and happiness from the experiences I have and the ones I help create. Every project, every team, every problem worth solving is a collection of moments that a clear head and an inspired idea can change.
I dare say we all want our life to be smooth — at home and at work. I put in the time to achieve that balance, and I bring that same intention to every team I join. If you can pause and ask "what are we solving for?" — great work gets done.
We are the experiences we have and create.