Pitfalls

There is no doubt that this year has been one of the most difficult in modern history. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed and exacerbated many of the issues in education along with shifting the ways people approach business. However, opportunities always arise through hardships. This pandemic has created various changes not only in how we approach learning but also in how we collaborate with others.

Our group consists of two students who are based in Arizona and one student based in China. As a result, we have been met with a variety of challenges, perhaps the least of which is the difference in time zone. Planning out when to meet was a bit difficult at first since it would often be the middle of the night or early in the morning for either of us. We discovered this as we attempted to plan our first meeting with our advisor. Although we were all ready to meet with him, we found that we had written down the wrong time for our meeting because of the time difference. Since we missed the meeting, we were forced to reschedule and make up for the time we lost.

All of our meetings have taken place over Zoom. Although our different time zones constrain the times we are able to meet, the digital platform has given us freedom since we have no physical location to hold our meetings. However, the lack of physical location created more difficulty in our access to materials and ability to test prototypes. This may be a factor in why we were unable to create a physical model of our product. Since we were unable to travel to a store together or meet in person to evaluate different methods or materials, our progress was likely more stunted than it may have been if we had been able to meet in person.

Perhaps as a result of our inability to convene face to face, we have a greater focus on our marketing and online presence. Although having a physical model would improve our outreach, our emphasis on the online marketing aspects of our project has allowed us to reach more people.

The pandemic has also resulted in the use of a variety of different software from MURAL and Canva to Google Docs, YouTube, and Adobe Creative Cloud. By using software like Canva, Wix, Instagram, and Facebook, we can manage our online presence and promote RAY Fashion to people from across the globe. We have learned about marketing strategies by testing and employing them. Although we may not achieve a level of success enjoyed by many larger organizations, through our testing and our failures we have learned what does and does not work. Even though it was a struggle for our group to use some of these platforms, I believe that learning to use these resources has helped us adjust to a world that is moving increasingly online. In learning how to use this software now, we may save some time learning how to navigate these platforms in the future.

Although our group has never met in person, our collaboration has proved that more than physical distance, it is minds coming together to create solutions that are most important in solving the most pressing issues that our society faces. By using the resources available to us, we are able to learn and grow even in a less-than-ideal environment. Through the difficulties of this year, we have managed to find hope and a way to view the world as more than a singular, linear narrative. RAY Fashion hopes that the future challenges we face may be less severe but that we may never stop innovating to create a better world for everyone.

---

Curious? Learn more about us by following our social media!

Instagram @ray_fashioninc

Facebook @RayFashionINC

---