Z-A is a New York studio for design innovation, which is dedicated to exposing the unexpected in the mundane. Z-A explores adaptive materials, structures and infrastructures that can adjust and respond to changing needs, uses, and identities of a project. Through different mediums, the economy of spatial mutations and temporal existence is explored and cultivated into a specific design tool. Guy Zucker is Principal and Founder of Z-A., and holds a Masters of Science in Advanced Architectural Design from Columbia University and a BArch. from the Technion Institute of Technology. In addition to running his practice he currently teaches a graduate design studio at the University of Pensylvania and has previously taught at design studios at Columbia and Parsons.

The American Design Club—AmDC—was conceived in the spring of 2008. At the time, American relevance in design was in question, and many postulated that US designers would never be as prominent or prolific as European designers. The founders saw that there was plenty of talent and ambition within American designers, but what was ultimately missing was a way for designers to share their work with a broad audience. The AmDC founding members created a platform where designers could launch new ideas and connect with each other. The AmDC began as a community that was submission-based, in which the strongest pieces would be displayed. This method enabled the AmDC to create shows that granted exposure to new designers.