HOW INNOVATION KEEPS PEOPLE SAFE IN THESE HARD TIMES
The team at Wizard Studios takes pride in thinking outside the box. We’re not ones to simply say, “This is how it’s always been done, so why change it?” We’re the ones that act on the idea that “this may be good, but I bet there’s an even better solution out there.” As destructive as this crisis has become, it has offered the silver lining of forcing us to amp up our creativity, or innovation, and our perseverance to make things happen quickly and efficiently. Our “lightbulb moments” started sparking when we leaned into what we’ve always done best: problem solve in real-time and make those ideas materialize in a moment’s notice.
It’s this thinking that allowed us to turn entire parking lots into COVID-19 testing centers, working late into the night to build tents with double-lane, drive-through accessibility.
It’s this thinking that inspired us to make sure graduations, live music, product launches, and special events could be safe and live, as we worked to make drive-in graduations, movies, and concerts accessible from the comfort of an attendee’s car.
And as of most recently, this thinking inspired our newest invention: the “social circle.” These lightweight circles are made from reusable plastic, sit only 6’ in diameter, and are an easy way to remind people of appropriate physical distancing so they can focus on the task they’re performing, not the distance they should be keeping. A great added element of these is that they double as a subtle encouragement for safe distancing, even outside the circle: an individual’s quick glance from far away serves as a reminder of what everyone in the room should be doing to play a role in flattening the curve.
In addition, social circles have become a major part of our risk management and mitigation plan. In conjunction with CDC guidelines and the most updated information on changing and updated regulations, our risk management plan ensures every event - live, virtual, or a hybrid of the two - can happen safely and as risk-free as possible, from beginning to end. As a part of our initial assessment, the use of social circles help manage population density and safety, creating a plan for participants to safely distance themselves, and utlimately helps create quicker queue times for crowd control.
Social circles are the product of today’s thinking, but our team is always keeping a pulse on what our world might need next. With so many communities around our country opening up again, we are all tasked with the responsibility of moving ahead carefully and cautiously. The best way to progress is to learn from our mistakes and keep our innovation alive. It’s what will keep our country, our communities, and our world, strong.
Be cautious, but don’t let anything limit your thinking: always stay inventive. Work to see this as an opportunity for a new wave of risk taking and creative thinking. Look to others to learn from, and continue to monitor the news to see what’s needed next in our world. As with any professional endeavor, remember that you can always enlist the help of the professionals that are leading the innovation. Contact Wizard Studios today!