The West Island Blog had the chance to chat with the mother-son duo behind Zach Designs, a local greeting card business. Zach Reisman is a talented illustrator and 3D artist living in Montreal, Quebec. Zach utilizes his exceptional sense of visual acuity, related to Autism Spectrum Disorder, to create and spread positivity through his art. Lorri Benedik, Zach’s mother and business partner, helped Zach put his gifts to good use by starting Zach Designs. Together, they inspire people and spread beauty throughout the world!
More than half of Zach Designs' annual sales come from craft fairs. Since there will be none this year, due to the pandemic, they are trying to make up for that. Please consider shopping locally and supporting small businesses this holiday season. Together, West Islanders can make it through all adversity!
What kind of products and services does Zach Designs offer?
Zach Designs offer both all-occasion cards and holiday cards. They are printed on high-quality stock, are blank inside, and come with envelopes. The holiday line of cards includes Christmas, Hanukkah, and even a Rosh Hashanah card. There are also custom cards available. People sometimes ask Zach to make a special card just for them, which he is happy to do.
Zach Designs offers another new service where they create the cards, write a customized message, and send them out on the client’s behalf. There is a man who lives in Bangkok, Thailand who contacted Zach and Lorri and asked if they could send five packs of cards to his loved ones on his behalf. Rather than sending them to him in Thailand and having him send them to his relatives, they agreed to send them on his behalf to those five people. They even wrote a little letter to each person. The client ended up paying for the cards and shipping costs, but the rest was free.
In a time of COVID, this service greatly reduces the handling of the cards and the risk of exposure. Normally Zach Designs would deliver the cards locally for people to fill out themselves and ship out. Zach and Lorri have eliminated the need for a middle-man by offering this service.
Zach Designs also offers free delivery in and around the West Island.
Any holiday specials going on that people should know about?
We do have these new postcards, which are promotional items that we give people in the neighborhood so that they learn about Zach. They are postcards with images of Zach’s cards on them.
With each pack of ten, we give one for free. Zach has always been very generous and has decided to make a charitable donation with part of his earnings at the end of this year and will be choosing different beneficiaries for future years as well. At the end of this year, Zach will be giving a portion of his earnings to Inspiration News, a non-profit organization that benefits people with special needs.
What inspired you to start Zach Designs and create greeting cards?
“I was originally going into 3D animation, but for two or so years I couldn’t find a job in that field. So I decided to take the power back and make cards instead of trying to find a job because it’s really, really hard,” said Zach.
“Zach has held quite a few jobs, but not in the field he studied in. I thought that it would be a really great thing since he is an artist and I wanted him to feel like a professional artist. I explained to Zach that the minute that somebody pays for your work, you are a professional at whatever it is that they paid you for. Even though he’s had jobs doing other kinds of things, I thought it was really important for him to keep feeling like he is an artist,” Lorri added.
What are your favorite kinds of cards to create?
“My favorite kind of cards to draw are the all-occasion cards because there’s more variety of things to draw instead of just one category. I can draw customized cards which makes it more satisfying to see the end result. They can be flowers, nature, birthday cards, a special anniversary, or even thank you notes. It could be anything!” exclaimed Zach.
Where can people view or purchase your work?
“We are trying to spread the word about Zach Designs on social media and via word of mouth,” explained Zach.
Cards designs can be viewed and ordered on Zach Designs’ website. Zach’s cards can now be found in Le Panier in Pointe-Claire as well. Scroll down for a sneak peek at some of the illustrations available!
For more information, please use the "contact" feature on the website or send an email to lorri@lorri.ca.
Any plans for expansion in the future?
“I think for now I’m going to just be doing more of the custom cards and more holiday cards. When the time comes, we’ll see what the come up is. If more people want to buy cards then we’ll keep buying them and selling them and then it will increase and increase,” noted Zach.
Is there anything that you would like to add that the public should know?
If people have suggestions or themes, Zach is open to hearing any ideas or specific requests!
“I am available to make any type of cards that people are interested in!” assured Zach.
Zach and Lorri are very grateful for each person who uses their service and supports Zach’s work. They are both appreciative of the kind words and outpouring of love from the community. Zach expressed how happy he is to make a difference in people’s lives and spread joy through his colorful and whimsical art.
“A few people have said to me that when they buy Zach’s cards and they’re writing their ordinary messages, looking at the designs on the card makes them want to write more. They’re inspiring people to be more creative with what they write in their cards because of the beauty outside of the cards!” expressed Lorri.
It’s apparent that Zach’s cards are crafted with love and spread happiness. So much so that people and recipients of the cards took the initiative of starting “The Selfie Project” where they take a selfie with Zach’s cards showing their glowing smiles. Head over to Zach Designs’ Facebook page to take a look at some of the people Zach’s artwork has brought joy to.
Don’t hesitate to place your order today, as this is Zach’s busiest time of the year!
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