Embracing a New Normal with Wacom

By Dave Bolton, Wacom Director of Sales – Canada

The global pandemic of 2020 reshaped our world in every conceivable way.

People retreated to their homes for safety, our schools and our businesses were suddenly closed, and the very fabric of our social lives – each other – was ripped apart. Suddenly, we had challenges few of us were prepared to face. How would students continue to learn? How would educators continue to teach? How would our businesses survive? The people we usually turned to for comfort and guidance were suddenly off-limits; not able to shake our hands, share a meal with us, or reach out and offer a reassuring hug.

One of the biggest challenges many people faced was a sudden, new reality – “work-from-home, learn from-home” was a phrase with which we had to become comfortable. But how? The learning curve would be steep.

Connecting with people through a screen instead of across a meeting room table was now the new normal. And while we once worked together in teams, free to rely on each other for support, ideas, and motivation, we now watched people enthusiastically making their point to the group but forgetting to turn on their microphones. Teachers, used to the hum of a busy classroom full of students interacting with friends, classmates, and co-conspirators, were suddenly asked to take a tangible skill like in-person instruction and make it virtual.

And so, we began one of the most intense and chaotic adventures in recent memory. Globally, every single person was faced with new decisions, new adaptations, and a new viewpoint, regardless of age, responsibility, or occupation.

As we acclimated to our new offices and our new classrooms at home, one thing remained constant – our need to communicate with each other. We became comfortable giving presentations on camera, submitting reports, and using softphones – all connecting through our computers.

One of the most basic forms of communication uses a pen. Neanderthals, 44,000 years ago, used the historical equivalent of pens to create paintings on the walls of caves to express their ideas. Fast forward to present day, and we find ourselves again faced with similar isolation. And the modern-day equivalent of that stick? Wacom.

The ability to write down our thoughts, sketch a new idea, or complete a homework assignment on our computer using a pen has brought simplicity to visual communication, a familiar habit. Wacom has always been focused on getting technology out of the way, to help people interact with familiar and intuitive tools. Wacom makes a wide range of products with incredibly precise and comfortable pens that are battery-free and cord-free to provide the most natural experience possible.

Wacom’s products have been the preferred tool of art and design colleges for many years but are now easily used in every type of office or classroom. Imagine being able to markup a document without printing it? Or completing a math worksheet directly as you see it? Wacom’s products already work with the software you use today – from digital art software like the Adobe suite, to productivity like the Microsoft suite of products. Digital whiteboarding, open collaboration, and content creation has never been easier.

Remote Work with Wacom

While 2020 was a year most people would just as soon forget, it pushed us to adapt and embrace new ways of getting our work done and turning in our homework on time. Communication became more important than ever as we adjusted to distancing ourselves from those around us. Through screens and cameras, we sought the familiar. From the office teams we belonged to, and the classrooms we sat in together.

Our ability to communicate with one another has never been more important, nor has it been a greater source of comfort. And to be able to communicate in ways that are so natural to us, face-to-face through a camera, and with a pen in hand, makes this new world a little more familiar to us all. To bring simplicity to visual communication and improve your workflow, get started at the Wacom store or contact us for more information.