Engineering Better Online Meetings: Hardware, Software, and Environment

Disclaimer: This content reflects my personal opinions, not those of any organizations I am or have been affiliated with. Code samples are provided for illustration purposes only, use with caution and test thoroughly before deployment.

Since COVID, online meetings have become an indispensable tool for collaboration, communication, and productivity. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting your career, mastering the art of online meetings is crucial for success. Having spent four years in a customer-facing role, I’ve participated in countless online meetings across various time zones, gaining valuable insights into what works and what doesn’t. This blog post shares my experiences and provides practical tips to help you engineer better online meetings by focusing on two key areas: hardware configuration and software optimization. By addressing these elements, you can create a more professional, engaging, and productive online meeting experience for yourself and your participants. Here are some tips for better online meetings.

Hardware Configuration for Professional Communication

Camera Selection and Placement

Investment in quality cameras

Investing in a high-quality camera can significantly improve your presence in online meetings. A better camera provides a clearer image, making you appear more professional and engaged. I personally use the Logitech StreamCam, which runs on USB-C and offers excellent video quality and a decent built-in microphone. When selecting a camera, consider factors such as resolution, low-light performance, and frame rate.

Position your external monitors for optimal viewing

Positioning your external monitors strategically can enhance your online meeting experience. I typically place my main monitor directly in front of me with the webcam positioned on top. Then, I put my laptop monitor right below my main monitor. By placing them in a way that allows you to look slightly down when taking notes, you create a more natural and less distracting interaction. This arrangement minimizes the awkwardness of looking away from the camera and helps maintain better eye contact with other participants.

Optimal positioning for eye contact

Maintaining eye contact is crucial for effective communication in online meetings. Position your camera at eye level and look directly into it when speaking. This creates a sense of connection and engagement with your audience, making the interaction feel more personal and attentive.

Monitor arrangement for natural note-taking

Arranging your monitors to facilitate natural note-taking can significantly improve your productivity during online meetings. Position your primary monitor directly in front of you and place secondary monitors to the sides. This setup allows you to easily glance at notes or reference materials without completely breaking eye contact with the camera.

Audio Engineering

Bluetooth Audio and Headphone Selection

I often use Bluetooth headphones so that I can walk around during longer meetings. However, I noticed that when I use my headphones for both the speaker and microphone, the audio quality degrades. Only later, I found that Bluetooth audio profiles can sometimes limit the bandwidth, resulting in lower fidelity sound. There are two common Bluetooth audio profiles: one for listening only (A2DP) and another for listening and speaking simultaneously (HSP/HFP). The latter, used when the microphone is active, often reduces audio quality due to bandwidth limitations. For optimal audio, consider using your Bluetooth headphones as speakers only and selecting a separate microphone, such as your laptop’s built-in mic or an external USB microphone.

Open-Ear Headphones

In a noisy office environment, people usually opt for noise-cancelling headphones. But if you are working from home, open-ear headphones can be useful. Open-ear headphones can enhance your online meeting experience by allowing you to hear yourself more clearly. This self-awareness promotes a more natural and confident speaking style, making the conversation feel more fluid and engaging. Although some noise-canceling headphones have a pass-through mode, which let you hear your own voice through the built-in microphone. But that never feels as natural as open-ear headphones. And usually open-ear headphones do not plug into your ear canals or completely cover your ears, making it much more comfortable.

Time timer

A time timer is a visual countdown timer, it has a physical dial and disk. You rotate the dial to set the time, and a red disk gradually disappears as time elapses. I use it for myself to keep track of remaining meeting time.

To avoid distraction, you should avoid the completely mechanical one, because the ticking noise is distracting. Also avoid the one with a LCD screen, because the red color are not that vibrant. Opt for one with a physical dial and disk, but rotates by electronic motor.

Software Optimization

Turn off your selfie view

If you only remember one thing from this post, turning off your selfie view is the one. Disabling selfie view in online meeting software can significantly improve your focus and reduce anxiety. Studies have shown that constantly seeing yourself can lead to hyper-self-consciousness and distraction, hindering your ability to fully engage in the conversation. Most of the online conferencing app let you see your own cameras before you start a meeting. Use that time to check if you look right and if you have your breakfast still stuck on your face. But during the meeting, turned it off. After using this trick I feel much less anxiety during meetings.

Use push-to-talk

Utilizing push-to-talk functionality can significantly improve the audio quality of online meetings, especially when you are not the primary speaker and only need to chime in occasionally. Unlike manually toggling the microphone, push-to-talk allows for quick and seamless activation and deactivation. This helps you avoid the embarrassment of forgetting to turn off your microphone and say something stupid to your kids or roommate. You are also less likely to forget to turning it on and talking into thin air.

Digital whiteboarding with iPad and Macbook

Integrating digital whiteboarding tools with an iPad and Macbook can transform online meetings into collaborative and interactive experiences. Digital whiteboards allow participants to brainstorm, sketch ideas, and share visual concepts in real-time, fostering greater engagement and understanding.

To set up digital whiteboarding with an iPad and Macbook, connect the iPad to the Macbook with a cable and use QuickTime Player to start a video recording. In this setup, the iPad screen will show up live on the QuickTime Player screen on the Macbook, and you can then do a normal screen sharing.

I also tried Wacom tablets in the past, but if you have a cheap one without a screen, drawing feels unnatural. I prefer using an iPad because you can see what you are drawing directly on the screen.

Conclusion

To engineer better online meetings, focus on these key takeaways:

• Invest in quality hardware: Use a high-quality camera for a clearer image and better presence, position external monitors strategically for optimal viewing and eye contact, and consider open-ear headphones for more natural audio.
• Optimize software settings: Turn off selfie view to reduce self-consciousness and anxiety, utilize push-to-talk for improved audio quality, and explore digital whiteboarding tools for collaborative brainstorming.
• Time management: Use a time timer to keep track of remaining meeting time.