Whether we were ready for it or not, the future of meetings has arrived and the future is Zoom! Zoom is a video communication platform made to help with collaboration and communication for chats, conferences, webinars, and everyday meetings. With the sudden movement towards working from home and working remotely, this has become a key tool for businesses across the world, and there aren’t many signs of its use slowing down.
Zoom isn’t just for businesses though. It is also the primary way that students and teachers are now communicating and learning. Doctors are utilizing Zoom with “telehealth” or virtual checkups. Even facilities like gyms are using Zooms to teach virtual workout classes! The reality is that right now, Zoom has become a must-have software for people all across the board.
With this significant shift in the way we primarily communicate, it is important to understand the ins and outs of Zoom while also understanding how you can personalize your Zoom experience to best fit you. That’s where we come in- we know exactly how to turn a Zoom meeting from ordinary to extraordinary with a unique Zoom Room!
You may be wondering what a Zoom Room is exactly. It can mean a few things. In technical “Zoom” terms it is the rooming system that allows you to hold virtual meetings. To many people though, a Zoom Room is the physical room or space that you are “Zooming” in.
This may not sound like a huge deal, but actually, the environment that you Zoom in can have a huge impact on the perceptions and focus of the clients, co-workers, or overall groups of people that you are having Zoom meetings with. It’s a simple concept, but perfecting your Zoom Room can actually be quite complex. Luckily, we have broken down all of the key elements to help you create the ideal Zoom Room in today’s evolving office space.
Creating the ideal Zoom Room is a multifaceted process that involves many different factors. It is important to address each different aspect that goes into a Zoom Room, however, because they are all significant and all play a part in putting together your perfect Zoom Room. Step by step factors to consider when creating the ideal Zoom Room are outlined below.
If you are familiar with the ins and outs of Zoom, you may know about the different virtual screens that you can add to your background. This is a feature that Zoom itself allows you to play around with and change to have fun or add a more ideal background than the room you are actually in. It is essentially a modern-day green screen feature with endless different options to choose from. In fact, you can even use saved images as the background so there is truly no limit to what you can do.
Choose from some of the default options like space, a city, or grass or choose something for yourself like a gorgeous penthouse office space or something funny to make people laugh. If you decide to use a Zoom Room screen, make sure to “read the room” when choosing which image goes behind you. For more casual, lighthearted meetings, choose something fun or conversation inducing. On the other hand, for more serious and important meetings, try using a more simple background or just stick to your natural office background.
There are many different sound etiquettes to be aware of and follow when using Zoom. It may seem like a small thing, but the sound quality and condition of your Zoom Room is actually the make it or break it aspect of any successful Zoom session. For starters, be sure you are not too far away to the point the microphone can’t hear you. Remember to put kids, dogs, or other potential disruption noises away from your Zoom Room when on important calls. It is also a good idea to check your microphone before you daily calls to make sure it is in proper working order.
Most importantly, make sure to always mute the microphone when listening. The importance of this step cannot be emphasized enough. Trust us, no one wants to be that person who is heard typing or who is giving feedback to the entire group. The general rule of thumb here is that if you aren’t speaking, then you should most definitely be muted.
Proper Zoom Room lighting is another big part of setting up the best environment. Ideally, you want to create the right lighting where everyone can easily see you but there are no harsh or awkward shadows. The best way to do this is to have one solid light near your face. If possible, avoid side lighting or backlighting, because this is how awkward glares and shadows can occur.
You may not know this, but your Zoom Room background can say a lot about you. It has been found that sitting in front of a bookshelf while you Zoom can give off the impression that you are smart and dependable. You can set up in front of a collection of things to subtly show off your interests and entice conversation from other meeting participants. Unique paintings are also a great Zoom Room background that can be simple, visually appealing, and tell a lot about you.
The key to Zoom Room backgrounds is that you want it to be interesting and intriguing without being distracting. If you sit in front of a wall of different items and trinkets, people may spend more time checking out your background then paying attention to what you may be saying. On the other hand, having a few interesting props behind you can be a great way to engage someone or spark up mutual interests with people you may not know as well. Having a cool or unique Zoom Room background can make a big difference in how you are presenting yourself virtually, so make sure to be intentional when making this decision.
Last, but not least, is the absence or presence of Zoom Room windows. This is another significant factor in creating the ideal Zoom Room environment than many people may not consider. There are some tips and tricks when it comes to window placement in your Zoom Room, however.
First, there are many benefits to facing a window while you Zoom. Facing a window will give you soft, natural lighting that is perfect for setting the tone and creating a solid Zoom Room atmosphere. Plus, there have been found health benefits associated with working in front of a window, and for many, it can be calming and even inspiring.
On the flip side, having Zoom Room windows behind you while you work (in view of the camera) can also have its benefits. As long as it does not create any sort of glares with the camera, showing off windows as a background can be calming, interesting, but not distracting to other meeting participants. Plus, it can make the space you are in seem bigger and brighter.
At the end of the day, the most important thing to consider when choosing your Zoom Room windows and Zoom Room window placement is what kind of windows you have. At CitiQuiet, we provide soundproof windows for your home and office that will allow you to create a peaceful working environment with state-of-the-art beautiful windows. Not only will they look great, but they will block out any unwanted noises that could occur during a meeting like traffic, noisy neighbors, construction, and so much more.
Zoom Room windows may seem like a small part of creating your ideal Zoom Room, but they can actually make all the difference. Zoom Room windows contribute to sound, lighting, and background when it comes to your Zoom Room- so they play a role in most of the factors we mentioned above.
Check out more about CitiQuiet soundproof window options and soundproof windows for your at-home office to see how they can make a huge difference in perfecting your Zoom Room!
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