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The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the widespread adoption of remote work and collaboration technologies overnight. As offices, schools and other spaces that once hosted most meetings went empty, video conferencing took center stage. This rapid shift highlighted both opportunities and challenges around supporting remote collaboration through audiovisual systems.
As the professional association for AV design and integration, AVIXA has long worked to establish industry standards that support collaboration. Their standards provide valuable guidance for effectively designing AV systems to meet the needs of remote and hybrid work. In this blog post, we will explore insights from AVIXA's standards and best practices documents regarding remote collaboration and AV design.
Designing for Flexibility and Multiple Use Cases
Heading: Video Conferencing Hardware
The sudden rise of remote work shone a light on the need for flexible, multi-purpose video conferencing hardware. Standards like AVIXA’s CIS-RCM recommend choosing endpoints that can support both in-room and remote participants through features like:
360-degree panoramic cameras to easily include all in-room attendees
Wireless content sharing to enable remote presentation participation
Integrated microphones and speakers to pick up voices from all angles of a room
rather than relying on separate audio equipment. This allows the same device to effectively serve both in-person and remote meetings.
Adjustable mounts and carts also provide flexibility to reposition equipment between uses. Designing spaces and selecting hardware with versatility in mind futureproofs systems for unforeseen changes in work patterns.
Heading: Network Infrastructure
Network infrastructure is another area where flexibility supports evolving needs. The rapid shift to remote work exposed limitations when office networks weren’t designed with video traffic in mind. AVIXA’s National Systems Contractors Association (NSCA) 5.4 recommends:
Upgrading network switches to handle increased bandwidth demands
Implementing quality of service (QoS) settings to prioritize critical video and collaboration data
Using virtual local area networks (VLANs) to separate device traffic
This helps networks dynamically accommodate room-based video devices, BYOD mobile devices, and cloud-based collaboration without lag or dropped calls. Redundant connectivity options also increase uptime for mission-critical remote meetings.
Optimizing for the Remote Experience
Heading: Audio Quality
While video allows remote participants to remain visible, clear audio is even more important to effective remote collaboration. ANSI/INFOCOM 1.0 outlines key factors for optimizing voice pickup and intelligibility over video conferences, including:
Using beamforming microphones and echo cancellation in larger rooms
Strategically placing additional microphones throughout a space to capture voices from all seats and prevent dropout
Limiting background noise through acoustic treatment and appropriately sealed rooms
This ensures remote attendees can fully understand every contribution regardless of device or location. Especially in impromptu calls, quality audio helps remote collaboration feel natural and inclusive.
Heading: Display and Layout
Thoughtful use of displays also enhances remote participation. AVIXA’s AVDECC 2.0 recommends positioning screens so local and remote participants can easily see one another in a way that feels like face-to-face communication.
gallery or companion screen layouts show remote attendees life-size alongside in-room video to foster engagement. Touch screens or digital signage can also share remote content for collaboration. Consideration of display placements, content sharing workflows, and versatile layouts unites all participants.
Equitable Inclusion Through Design
Heading: Accessibility
Accessibility should be a core consideration in AV designs to promote inclusion of all participants, whether local or remote. WCAG 2.0 AA guidelines call for:
Subtitles and transcripts on video content to accommodate diverse needs
Support for assistive technologies like screen readers through compliant user interfaces
Alternate modalities like audio-only dial-in for callers without video capabilities
Following universal design principles creates equity of experience. This ensures the full diversity of a remote or hybrid workforce can meaningfully contribute from any location through the AV system.
Heading: User Experience
Finally, ease of use fosters participation. ANSI/INFOCOM 4.1 emphasizes intuitive, simple interfaces tailored for each user type from technical to non-technical. Training and documentation also reduce barriers to use.
Features like one-touch join, content sharing through drag-and-drop, and virtual backgrounds promote spontaneity in meetings versus frustrating hurdles. A well-designed user experience around remote collaboration makes the AV system feel transparent versus a hindrance to communicating and working together.
Conclusion
Standards from AVIXA provide a valuable framework to effectively design AV systems that support the evolving needs of remote and hybrid work. Following guidance around flexibility, optimizing experiences, accessibility and usability helps AV technology facilitate seamless collaboration regardless of location. As work patterns continue changing, AV design grounded in these principles ensures technology enhances rather than impedes equitable participation through any work environment.
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