Trends in Offices: Huddle Spaces for Collaboration
Modern offices may have open spaces for impromptu collaboration with others, but some types of meetings require privacy for discussing proprietary topics or to allow for better concentration. Enter huddle spaces or private enclaves, one of the newest trends for post-pandemic offices.
What Are Huddle Spaces?
As offices bring people back after pandemic remote working, some places are allowing hybrid work with employees allowed to work remotely. Other offices are bringing a homey atmosphere into the office, adding couches, warmer colors, and leisure spaces. Part of the changing office layout is turning large conference rooms into smaller private enclaves or huddle spaces.
Huddle spaces, or private enclaves, have just enough space for very small groups of half a dozen people to discuss ideas. These tiny areas are still comfortable for sitting and have technology connections for laptops.
The smaller spaces for meetings show that not everyone participating has to be in the room. With remote working increasing in popularity in offices around the country, smaller private enclaves for in-office and remote workers to meet will also increase in use.
Better Connectivity for Video Participation
Within huddle spaces, improvements to connections may include adding ethernet cables and ports for hardwire connections that are more stable and secure than wifi. Additionally, these spaces may have separate microphones and cameras for capturing audio and video outside of individual participants’ laptops. Using separate equipment frees memory on the laptops to allow the participants to use them for taking notes or interacting with programs.
Getting professional installation of these audio and video connections will help to make these spaces more productive.
Collaboration Spaces for the Future
The future of office work will include open office design plans that have smaller spaces for workers to connect in groups. Smaller huddle spaces will still have to be just as technologically advanced as larger conference rooms due to the demands of remote video conferencing.
Create Huddle Spaces to Boost Productivity in Your Office
Whether you have a traditional or hybrid office, you should consider integrating smaller, private huddle spaces throughout for group collaboration. These rooms take up less space, allowing for employees to have more creature comforts in other parts of the office. To get the technological side of the private enclaves installed, contact our commercial side at Experience Audio Video Inc.
Sources
https://commercialaudiovideoinstallationorangecounty.com/services/#conference-room
https://www.ccim.com/cire-magazine/articles/10-trends-office-design/
https://www.cdw.com/content/cdw/en/articles/digitalworkspace/7-huddle-space-trends-in-2021.html
https://commercialaudiovideoinstallationorangecounty.com/
https://commercialaudiovideoinstallationorangecounty.com/contact/
Huddle Room
A huddle room or space is a small and private meeting area. Much like a traditional conference room, huddle spaces are generally outfitted with audio and video conferencing equipment, a display system and a traditional or digital whiteboard. Now with a worldwide pandemic rushing video conferencing into every business.
ADOPTION OF VIDEO SOLUTIONS
Within the last few years, there has been an increased interest in enabling more conference rooms with communications. Conferencing technology has changed by how we are now working, in the areas in which we work and even with whom we work.
CHALLENGES TO ADOPTION OF VIDEO CONFERENCING
Over the last several years, the conferencing industry has successfully delivered features that were previously apparent to be barriers. For example; mobile video to phones and tablets, intelligent cameras, and room view endpoints systems costing significantly less.
THE EFFECT OF THE PANDEMIC
With the COVID-19 pandemic altering the video conferencing situation entirely it has drastically changed how we work, but it has also helped resolve some of the barriers. The pandemic has progressed digital transformation by changing the needs and behaviors of most of the end users in harmony.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PERFECT HUDDLE ROOM SOLUTION
Crestron has a fantastic lineup of UC solutions with the Flex line of products. The Flex line consists of integrator solutions, video bars, and center-of-table solutions. Now if a customer wanted a center-of-table solution for a huddle space they’d have to use the Flex MX solution which is rather robust. Now Crestron has created the Flex MM30 which is perfect for smaller room size.
About the Author
Experience Audio Video has been serving Orange County and Area since 1999 for residential and commercial audio, video and security camera installation services. 5 Star Yelp Ratings, Thousands of Referrals, there is not a better choice than Brian Chappell and the Experience Audio Video Team (License #804783). One phone call and you will know right away the difference in working with Experience Audio Video vs. others in the area. Contact us now at 714-744-4455 or info@eav-inc.com for a Free Consultation.
Microsoft Team Room
Does your office already implement Microsoft Team Rooms? Are you having issues with fetching the calendar? Have you asked your IT department and they can’t figure it out? Well now is the time to call Commercial Audio Video Installation Orange County to help.
The most common cause of the calendar fetch issue is it being setup for the first time or a recent update to your system. Thankfully Crestron has a blog that tells you how to fix it called, Microsoft Team Rooms – Cannot Fetch Calendar. If after reading the blog your IT department can’t figure it out give us a call and we will come and fix it.
In the blog Crestron states, “CHECK YOUR SETUP
Make sure that you have looked at the setup of your account and you have followed the suggested setup per the Microsoft Documentation found here. There is even a PowerShell script to enable making the account correctly even easier and it can be found here. You can also find a full article on making the account by Jeff Shertz found here.”
About the Author
Experience Audio Video has been serving Orange County and Area since 1999 for residential and commercial audio, video and security camera installation services. 5 Star Yelp Ratings, Thousands of Referrals, there is not a better choice than Brian Chappell and the Experience Audio Video Team. One phone call and you will know right away the difference in working with Experience Audio Video vs. others in the area. Contact us now at 714-744-4455 or info@eav-inc.com for a Free Consultation.
The Ultimate Guide To Huddle Rooms In Commercial Spaces
Open work environments have become hugely popular in the last decade, as they allow for greater collaboration and dialogue between your entire team. But the problem with these open office layouts in commercial settings is that employees don’t have a place to discuss confidential information or focus on a project without other distractions.
For some small office spaces, the solution to this problem is to have employees use a conference room when available for these smaller meetings. But two people sitting around a table for twelve will make it harder for actual discussions to be had and plans to be made.
That’s why huddle spaces have emerged as a popular alternative to larger, stuffier rooms. Employees can reserve and use these spaces that are designed for smaller groups, yet have the technology and amenities to support collaboration. But aside from that, huddle rooms can take any shape or design that is most adaptive to your commercial office’s needs.
You Have to Have A/V Technology
It must be easy for employees to walk into a huddle room and connect their computers or digital devices to shared displays immediately. Time spent fumbling for wires or connections is time wasted.
Even better, match your huddle room’s setup to that in your conference room so anybody in the office can use either space at any time.
You Have to Have Comfortable — And Usable — Seating
Help employees get down to the important stuff with comfortable seating and ample room for laptops and note-taking. But don’t go too casual or your employees may not be able to use the rooms for long; bean bag chairs are easy to move, but not ideal if you’re trying to strategize a company’s future.
You Have to Make Scheduling Easy
Want employees to use these huddle spaces? Have a secure scheduling system that allows people to reserve rooms ahead of time and see when space is available. By utilizing digital displays on the outside of the room and a central calendar, you’ll make sure the area is open to anyone.
About the Author
Experience Audio Video has been serving Orange County and Area since 1999 for residential and commercial audio and video installation services. 5 Star Yelp Ratings, Thousands of Referrals, there is not a better choice than Brian Chappell and the Experience Audio Video Team. One phone call and you will know right away the difference in working with Experience Audio Video vs. others in the area. Contact us now at 714-744-4455 or info@eav-inc.com for a Free Consultation.
How To Create A Huddle Space For Your Commercial Office That Will Increase Efficiency
Gone are the days when every meeting held at your commercial office needed to be in a conference room. Now, more and more companies are coming up with intimate spaces designed to help employees collaborate.
These “huddle spaces” are an ideal way to let various team members get together in a communal space quickly, and will free up your conference room for larger meetings. But what does it take to make your huddle spaces ready to increase your commercial office’s efficiency?
Make It Easy to Connect
Employees shouldn’t need to spend time figuring out how to connect their devices to Wi-Fi or how to turn on display screens. Everything in your huddle room should be intuitive and easy for staff to connect to immediately.
Make Them Pleasant to Be In
You want employees to make use of huddle rooms as a space that helps inspire creativity and collaboration, which means you want them to be as aesthetically pleasing as possible. Just some simple paint or pops of color on chairs and other furniture can make a significant impact.
Make Them Audio-Visual Powerhouses
The AV technology in your huddle space will be one of the most essential features you need to consider. Video conferencing is a must so that staff can communicate with remote clients or employees. You’ll need a large display screen, a good microphone, and good-quality speakers to ensure that communication is efficient and effective.
Make Them Simple to Access
The beauty of a huddle space is that employees can typically access it much easier than they could a conference room. When you have a digital scheduling system for your huddle spaces, employees can sign up ahead of time to book the room, and all other staff will see that it is in use for the given time period.
About the Author
Experience Audio Video has been serving Orange County and Area since 1999 for residential and commercial audio and video installation services. 5 Star Yelp Ratings, Thousands of Referrals, there is not a better choice than Brian Chappell and the Experience Audio Video Team. One phone call and you will know right away the difference in working with Experience Audio Video vs. others in the area. Contact us now at 714-744-4455 or info@eav-inc.com for a Free Consultation.
The Essential Audio-Visual Components For A Productive Huddle Space
Providing your staff with the right spaces to collaborate in will increase their productivity and engagement with each project. That’s why huddle spaces have become such an attractive alternative to using conference and meeting rooms for intimate group ideation, particularly for commercial offices that have embraced an open office environment.
But for your commercial office’s huddle spaces to function as they should for employees, you’ll have to have the right audio-video equipment. That way, employees in California can strategize with contractors or clients around the world seamlessly and immediately. These are five essential audio-visual system components that your huddle space must have.
The Right Plugs
Your huddle space needs to have enough outlets for employees to plug their devices into, but you also want it to be easy for them to connect to any digital components immediately. Have cords available for different styles of connections to ensure that everyone has access.
Strong Microphones
When collaboration is necessary, all of your employees need to be able to hear each other, and the microphone on a headset or laptop won’t be strong enough for a crystal-clear connection. With a powerful microphone installed in huddle spaces, communication will happen faster and be more effective.
Appropriate-Sized Displays
Because huddle spaces are typically smaller than conference rooms, you don’t need a giant display screen that dominates the area. A high-quality screen large enough for everyone in the room to see from a comfortable distance is all you need.
Adjustable Temperature and Lighting
Employees should be able to adjust temperature and lighting in huddle spaces in a way that makes them the most comfortable. When you sync your commercial office’s various systems into one hub, they can make any adjustments needed with just the touch of a button.
Immediate Access
The worst thing you can do for employees is to stop their momentum in the middle of a productive session. All audio and video distribution components in your huddle spaces should be ready to go all times of the day and should be easy to get started.
About the Author
Experience Audio Video has been serving Orange County and Area since 1999 for residential and commercial audio and video installation services. 5 Star Yelp Ratings, Thousands of Referrals, there is not a better choice than Brian Chappell and the Experience Audio Video Team. One phone call and you will know right away the difference in working with Experience Audio Video vs. others in the area. Contact us now at 714-744-4455 or info@eav-inc.com for a Free Consultation.
Audio Visual Solutions For Coordinating Huddle Spaces In Commercial Offices
Having one or more huddle spaces in your commercial office is a great way to allow employees to collaborate and communicate in settings less formal than conference rooms, and less distracting than offices.
An ideal huddle space has room for several people to sit comfortable, enough desk space that people can write and/or setup laptops, and an audio/video distribution setup so that ideas can easily be shared with the group.
But as with any commercial office technology, you can’t expect a seamless system to work without some help. These audio visual solutions are ideal for coordinating huddle spaces in your office.
Reserve Spaces Remotely
One of your employees received an email on the way to work regarding an unexpected change that requires the team to meet immediately. Rather than waiting to get onsite, a scheduling app will allow your staff to reserve a room whenever they need to, and from anywhere. As a bonus, that employee could share their huddle room reservation with the rest of the team simultaneously, saving lots of time in the process.
Preprogram Spaces
Rather than fumbling with light switches, monitors, or sound when you’re in a huddle room, what if they could be preprogrammed with your settings beforehand? Allow staff to set desired room temperature, music, and lighting to increase their efficiency.
Optimize Displays
When your commercial office employees are strategizing over an issue together, give them a space to work out ideas where everyone can see them. A smart whiteboard can help everyone keep track of what gets written down, and large display screens can help employees share digital assets.
About the Author
Experience Audio Video has been serving Orange County and Area since 1999 for residential and commercial audio and video installation services. 5 Star Yelp Ratings, Thousands of Referrals, there is not a better choice than Brian Chappell and the Experience Audio Video Team. One phone call and you will know right away the difference in working with Experience Audio Video vs. others in the area. Contact us now at 714-744-4455 or info@eav-inc.com for a Free Consultation.
Is Your Commercial Office In Need Of A Morale Boost?
The new year has come, which means it’s time to get your commercial office back in business. But when you look around, do you see employees who look like they are up to that task?
Boosting morale and efficiency after the holidays can be tough; people have been traveling, partying, celebrating, and generally not thinking about getting work done. That transition back can make things even worse if your facility isn’t designed to encourage and support everyone getting back to work.
How can you help ease your employees back into work while making sure that your clients are getting the attention they need? Try some of these easy upgrades to your commercial space to get your staff back into the swing of things.
- Play music at reasonable volumes in open work areas to cut down on ambient noise and help relax and motivate employees.
- Offer a huddle space that allows employees to get together away from their desks to strategize and brainstorm.
- Place digital signage around the offices to share information with staff and to celebrate individual accomplishments, awards, or milestones.
- Use digital scheduling to help employees reserve conference rooms and workspaces, and allow them to control elements like the thermostat and music when they are using them.
- Allow employees to open or close blinds and windows throughout the office. Using motorized window coverings will let employees do so with the touch of a button, and can allow you to control which blinds can be open and when.
- Make sure audio solutions in your conference room and throughout the office are allowing clear communication with employees or clients from elsewhere.
- Help employees and clients feel safe at all times by installing security cameras in your facility, particularly in dark areas like parking garages or hallways.
About the Author
Experience Audio Video has been serving Orange County and Area since 1999 for residential and commercial audio and video installation services. 5 Star Yelp Ratings, Thousands of Referrals, there is not a better choice than Brian Chappell and the Experience Audio Video Team. One phone call and you will know right away the difference in working with Experience Audio Video vs. others in the area. Contact us now at 714-744-4455 or info@eav-inc.com for a Free Consultation.
4 Benefits Of A Common Huddle Space In Commercial Offices
You know that its essential for your employees to collaborate on new ideas, but do you give them the physical space to do so?
Collaboration won’t just happen through your email network, chat interface, or over the phone; for success, you’ll want employees to be able to work out their ideas in real-time and in-person. That’s where a huddle space can help facilitate teamwork.
Unlike a traditional conference room, your commercial office's huddle space should be dedicated to employee collaboration and should be comfortable and inviting enough to support the growth of new ideas. If you’re trying to encourage employees to become a closer-knit team, consider these four additional benefits of a common huddle space.
- Open Office Privacy
If your commercial office layout is open, your employees won't always have the privacy or space to focus on smaller projects together; imagine trying to hold a board meeting at Starbucks! A huddle room or rooms is a space where small groups of employees can get together to hash out ideas without the distractions of others.
- Digital Display Options
Why crowd everyone around one computer screen at your desk or lose the intimacy of your small group in a large conference room? A huddle space should have a digital display so your employees can share their ideas with the click of a button, and other elements like a whiteboard to facilitate spontaneous idea generation.
- Less Scheduling
With several huddle spaces in your office, employees won’t need to worry about booking a busy conference room in order to have a quick brainstorming session.
- Cost-Effective
Outfitting a conference room can be a significant expense, as you’re creating a space that will be suitable for everything from board meetings to client presentations. Often, that means that conference rooms are larger and more formal – meaning more expense. Because huddle rooms are a fraction of the size of traditional conference rooms, you can actually add several to your space for less than the cost of one new conference room.
About the Author
Experience Audio Video has been serving Orange County and Area since 1999 for residential and commercial audio and video installation services. 5 Star Yelp Ratings, Thousands of Referrals, there is not a better choice than Brian Chappell and the Experience Audio Video Team. One phone call and you will know right away the difference in working with Experience Audio Video vs. others in the area. Contact us now at 714-744-4455 or info@eav-inc.com for a Free Consultation.