Several workplace trends that had been slowly gaining traction in recent years expanded
rapidly over the course of the pandemic: specifically, a growing number of remote and hybrid
employees and the rise of video conferencing platforms. While spaces (and their intended
purposes) will vary, an important consideration is maintaining a consistent user experience for
everyone, no matter their location, while still tailoring the solution to the space.


Offices
Whether it’s part of a company facility or a remote/home workstation — solutions for
individuals need all the functionality of any space, no matter its purpose. It’s imperative that a
remote worker feel as connected to a collaborative meeting as those occupying the same
physical space. This means clear audio and video are essential whether sound is delivered via
speakers or headphones — and the ability to share content quickly and easily with the team
should be a top priority. Organizations should standardize hardware and software solutions to
create an ecosystem that delivers consistency, equity, and engagement.


Small rooms are also referred to as huddle rooms, these spaces allow for one to five employees
to collaborate are often used for brainstorming or strategic sessions. Functionality for wireless
presentations and the option to collaborate and edit materials are often important in these
spaces. The need for a guest to “BYOD” — “bring your own device” — for a presentation enters
the equation here, too. As a result, your ecosystem can’t be completely walled-off from these
applications, and your collaboration tools should be ready to communicate with third-party
devices.


Medium rooms need all the functionality of a smaller room but need to comfortably seat up to
10 people and have a video display that’s large enough to be clearly viewed by anyone in the
room. In this size room, audio and video start to need special attention to make sure that the
mic array completely covers the available space. If sidebars or soft-spoken team members are
added into the mix, it’s important that remote workers hear all that’s being said. And an
intelligent video system gives all virtual participants an “equal seat at the table.”
Large rooms, those that seat 10 to 20 people, may need multiple displays so that each attendee
has clear visual access to content or remote attendees. Cameras will need to effectively capture
all the participants while mic solutions may need to amplify the participants within the room, as
well as those attending remotely. Tabletop mics can do double duty providing amplification for
both physical and digital attendees. Any speaker solution will need enough power and
headroom to avoid distortion.

Custom and multi-use rooms, like bigger training facilities, can require large displays,
presentation mics, and podiums/lecterns. You also need to consider if the presenter needs to
move about and if some attendees will be remote. Again, guest speakers or instructors may
BYOD, and seamless connectivity is critical. Dual projection systems may be vital for rooms this
size and for divisible rooms it’s important to remember that mics, speakers, displays, and
connectivity must be appropriately positioned to accommodate the full open space, as well as
multiple configurations, including each smaller space.

For more info and a handy checklist of action items, download the full Crestron eBook “Keys to
the Digital Workplace.”