As you have probably noticed, this year has been different than most! Rocketship is grateful for all of the countless hours of effort that first responders, health care providers, and worldwide leaders have contributed in responding to the pandemic. We’re continuing full operations while practicing social distancing and remote operations where possible.
In general, Rocketship has taken the necessary precautions to keep our staff and clients healthy, including:
- Remote working – Remote members of the team stay in touch by logging into an all-day video conference while working which helps simulate being in the studio. In some ways, video conferencing makes it easier to communicate since it allows designers to share screens quickly and meet on the fly.
- Virtual meetings – The studio remains open although we recommend that clients schedule remote meetings for the time being. We have set-up webcams in our homes to allow us to video conference. So you may see someone’s unfinished basement in the background. Or the occasional child chasing after the dog. Pay no attention to them.
- Hand-washing – 20 seconds with soap and water is better than hand sanitizer. Here is a good video to show the proper technique: www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbX0xwKORjk
- Disinfectant supplies – Clorox wipes and Purell hand sanitizer is readily available in the studio and frequent wipe-downs are encouraged. It is a tricky balance – we don’t want to stockpile too much, but we also need to make sure we have enough for the next few months.
Rocketship has also been eager to help the community. When the Provo Police Department issued a call for anyone with a 3D printer to provide reusable respirators we put our machines to work around the clock! Check out the full story here.
COVID-19 (which stands for COronaVIrus Disease – 2019) first appeared in China and the country was quickly shut down while most manufacturers were closed anyway for Chinese New Year celebrations. After several weeks of a nearly complete shut-down, China slowly began lifting restrictions on manufacturers who were eager to get back to full operations. Since then, most have adjusted to new social distancing and sanitation practices and are back at full functionality.
When COVID-19 arrived in the USA many states urged individuals to stay at home where possible. Some states even issued shelter-in-place orders which temporarily closed non-essential businesses. Utah’s Governor recommended that his state follow social distancing practices but preferred the less-restrictive directive of “Stay Safe, Stay Home”. This has allowed Rocketship to continue normal operations without much difference in the workflow.
We’re looking forward to when things get back to normal but until then, stay upbeat and stick together (even while apart) and we’ll get through this!
Remote Studio Lunch Break