A digital-first meeting room is one where the technology is the room rather than an addition to it. The display is both the whiteboard and the video endpoint. The table has a single USB-C cable and nothing else. The room is booked from the display on the door, and IT can see every device in it from one console. Organisations are building rooms this way because it removes the friction that made meetings start ten minutes late. This article describes the design, with OneScreen’s interactive display at the centre.
The components
- Interactive display – OneScreen panel sized to the room, with whiteboarding, wireless sharing and conferencing.
- Camera and audio – built into the display for small rooms; a separate camera and soundbar or speakerphones (Nearity, Yealink) for larger ones.
- Compute – the display’s built-in system, or a PC module or room PC running the conferencing platform.
- Connectivity – one USB-C cable at the table for guests; wireless casting for everyone else.
- Booking – a Joan e-paper display at the door, connected to the calendar.
- Management – the display’s device management, the platform’s room console, and the booking analytics.
Design principles
One touch to start. The display boots into the meeting platform. A scheduled meeting shows a Join button. Walking in and tapping it should be the whole procedure.
Nothing to plug in. Wireless sharing for staff; the USB-C cable for visitors with unfamiliar laptops. No adapters in a drawer.
Same in every room. Standard sizes, standard layouts, standard controls. Staff should not need to learn a room.
Audio sized to the room. The built-in microphones and speakers of a display are fine for four people at close range and not for twelve around a long table.
Managed remotely. Every display, camera and booking device reporting to a console, with firmware updated centrally and faults visible before users report them.
Room templates
| Room | Display | Camera and audio | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huddle (2-6) | OneScreen 55-65 inch | Built-in or compact video bar | Joan display |
| Meeting (6-12) | OneScreen 75 inch | 4K auto-framing camera, soundbar | Joan display |
| Boardroom (12+) | OneScreen 86-98 inch or dual displays | PTZ camera, ceiling or chained mics, DSP | Joan display |
| Training room | OneScreen 86 inch | PTZ with presenter tracking, distributed audio | Joan display |
Whiteboarding in a hybrid meeting
The distinguishing feature of an interactive display is that remote participants see the whiteboard. In the room, people write on the panel; remote participants see the canvas in the meeting and can contribute from their own devices. The board is saved and shared at the end. This is the use that justifies an interactive display over a large TV, and it is worth training staff to use it.
Rollout
Pilot two rooms with the standard kit. Fix what users complain about. Document the standard. Roll out floor by floor, with the booking displays installed at the same time. Train meeting hosts. Review booking and usage data after a quarter to decide where to add rooms or pods.
Building digital-first rooms with Zen
Zen Interactive Technologies distributes OneScreen displays, Nearity and Yealink cameras and audio, Joan booking devices and Hush Pod meeting pods in the UAE and GCC. That is the full kit for a digital-first room from one distributor, with one support line. See the OneScreen page or the portfolio.