The world has changed. In every meeting now, some people will be in the room and some of them will be at home.

What we want is for the meeting to be productive for everyone, wherever you happen to be. Because of that, the traditional room design is no longer suitable. We do not need so many seats in the meeting room, and we need a bigger screen, so the remote people are big enough.

Microsoft have thought about this and come up with the Front Row screen layout and room layout.

The aim is to have the screen big enough so that all the people in the meeting are as close to life size as possible. The camera system in the meeting room uses AI to identify the individuals. It then generates a personal image for each person. The result is that whether you are at home or on the meeting room you get the same priority on the meeting display.

Apart from the technical requirements for microphones, cameras and displays it is important to consider lighting and acoustics. Soft, even light on the faces will look best. Carpets and acoustic treatment on at least two walls will contribute to a calm quiet environment.

Glass walls, though attractive, can lead to a very reverberant acoustic that makes meetings unpleasant.