thumb|A cartoon character built entirely with Zaks triangles and squares.
Zaks is a construction toy originally produced in Canada by the company Irwin Toy in 1987 was invented by Calgary designer Jim Ziegler. Ziegler's initial inspiration for Zaks came from visiting Expo 67 and walking through the American pavilion, a geodesic dome designed by Buckminster Fuller, and from Fuller's book Utopia or Oblivion. In Ziegler's words, "Fuller had a conviction that understanding triangulated geometry would be essential to man's success, because that's the most efficient way to build. My reasoning was that for people to accept that idea, they needed to have it in their hands and just play with it."
Ziegler had the idea for Zaks in 1982, and unveiled to retailers in January 1987.
Release
Zaks was released in Canada in August 1987 and was an immediate success, and helping Irwin Toy recover from $2.6 million losses in 1985. Irwin Toy anticipated Zaks would become a $20 to $30 million business across North America within two years. After the launch of Zaks, Lego released two television commercials featuring a boy named Zack, "a Lego maniac"; the ad campaign was perceived by some observers as an acknowledgment of Zaks' release. and was also released in Europe and Australia.
By 1990, Zaks had reached sales of about $25 million but sales had slowed significantly.
Sets
Irwin Toy initially released Zaks sets with 52, 144, 274, and 474 pieces, with prices ranging from about C$10 to C$40.
Awards and recognition
Zaks won the Canadian Toy Testing Council Award of Merit as Best Construction Toy of 1987 and the 1988 Canada Award for Business Excellence Gold Medal in Industrial Design. Ohio Art Company responded that they "try to show in the television commercial that the product can be animated and that the pieces move after they're put together."
Zaks was included in the exhibition "Art in Everyday Life: Observations on Contemporary Canadian Design" held at The Power Plant art gallery from June 24 to September 11, 1988, and in the exhibition's accompanying book. The exhibition was a curated survey exploring mass-produced objects designed in Canada from 1967 to 1987.