Juan Santiago Sorzana

IED Barcelona

Transportation design, Year 2

22 years old

Barcelona, Spain

Schools have been among the first institutions to adapt to the new measures of quarantine. What are the pros and cons of online classes?

Based in my experience so far, online classes are a very effective way of learning, as long as the subject doesn't involve physical work.

Pros: It is easy for the teacher to show files and share informations, then this files can be downloaded or reviewed by the students. Since everybody has its own screen every student has a clear view of what's happening in the class. The students are in a comfortable space that they can personalize as they need. Classes can be more flexible, rearranged during weeks, since the compromise of a physical classroom is no longer there. Information becomes more malleable during class, to further explain ideas, we can play and edit the documents or files as they are being shared.

Cons: The bad luck of loosing Internet connection is always there. The relationship between the students and the teacher won't be the same, it's harder to get to know each other better. As this is a new method of teaching and learning, time management can get compromised when faced with technical issues that any student or teacher could have. It is harder to get feedback from the teacher or from the students. It is easier to loose concentration, no matter how hard you try, the inputs you get from the screen will keep you hooked less time than those you get being in the classroom. This is a great challenge for both the teacher and students.

The Fashion and Design Industries have been aggressively afflicted by the COVID-19 emergency. As a consumer, but also as a future insider of those systems, what will be the worst consequences of this crisis?

There are certain consequences that can be looked at in an objective way and those are inevitable, such as economic factors and the limitations that the brands have to work and produce. However outside of those two, the other consequences will not necessarily be bad for these industries. They have a great capacity to adapt to the situation and to the need of the user at the time. They will need to change their product, the way they sell it and how they manufacture it.

Your work is built on creativity. Where do you find your inspiration in this moment?

There are two things that help me stay inspired and creative. One is to share photos, projects or ideas with classmates. The things you see everyday will be limited, but if you share them and get others from your classmates, the inputs will multiply. The second is to change the daily routine as much as possible. As long as it's healthy, we all need to get a good night's sleep and get out bodies used to a certain rhythm. However, it is good to change our schedules a little bit, you don't know what tv program you might encounter at 3am in the morning or which friend may be connected.