Ask an Expert – Danish Zaidi

Interviewer:  What is your name?  

Marble:   Danish Zaidi 

Interviewer:  What is your position at Six Red Marbles?  

Marble:   Head of Creative Services  

Interviewer:  What does that position entail?  

Marble:   I oversee a team of designers, illustrators, quality assurance personnel, technical artists, and the projects on which they work. My days are usually spent brainstorming with my team in order to develop interesting media such as art, design, and animation, supporting them with the necessary tools, teaching them throughout live projects, and working with LXD, the technical team, presales, and project managers to assess project costs and discuss workflows. 

Interviewer:  How did you become a part of Six Red Marbles?  

Marble:   In 2007, I began work as a designer in an advertising agency. Later, I pursued design and illustration as a means of being expressive in publications and eLearning. SRM has the best editorial crew, as I’ve heard throughout my career. After a long career in education and publishing, I joined Six Red Marbles in the middle of 2018 to learn from the experts. 

Interviewer:  What is the best part of your job?  

Marble:   I love creating. That’s why it’s hard to pick the best part. What I love about being creative, in general, is that it’s never boring—every new project brings an opportunity for new possibilities through media. What I love about SRM is working with a team of amazingly talented people and the importance of a work-life balance.    

Interviewer:  What do you wish people knew about your work at Six Red Marbles?  

Marble:  Media plays a vital role in every aspect of life, especially in learning within an ed tech company. I believe that engaging in deeper conversations with clients about media, from concept to final marketing and product delivery, is essential. These discussions allow us to apply our expertise and propose better branding solutions that can save our clients time and money.   

Interviewer:  What is a trend you see happening in the education space that you’re excited about?   

Marble:  The rise of artificial intelligence in education. Clearly, there are still more questions than answers about how to utilize this technology. But there is no doubt that it will have a huge impact on how we generate media in the future. It is not a leap to suggest that we are witnessing a paradigm shift, not only in our edtech and educational publishing industries but also in the way people learn. AI carries generational and global implications, demanding collective efforts to ensure its responsible and thoughtful application while preserving the authenticity of media.  

Interviewer:  What is one interesting fact about yourself that you’d like to share?  

Marble: I love animals and have watched all of Sir David Attenborough’s documentaries.  During my free time, I like to spend time on animal photography.