Respecting Video Intimacy

This is a daytime talking head spot as presented by a large polling organisation appearing on a rolling news channel.

I glimpsed this late afternoon display by chance.

An instant double-take. I've seen this zoomscape a lot lately.

Particularly from this location. Near to Silicon Roundabout. Around the North East corner in the City of London's Square Mile.

I wonder if this rendering of 'zoom booth' is responsible for the supposed volume of two-thirds of firms claiming they've recently made dedicated videoing space in their offices?

The many two-person video calls where I've been greeted with this view also seem to involve a space that looks like being in the middle of open plan.

The divider behind can be wider, not always up to a ceiling, and sadly not as colourful as the one here. Sometimes there's even been an absence of side-panels. But whether frosted, fabric or fencing, they're typically bare. Devoid of anything at all affixed to them. Let alone ability to scrawl away on said surrounds.

Cobbled together, yes. At least there's an attempt. But let's face it. You can and ought do better if you aim to conduct distinctive video calls.

This snapshot also reminds about considering the other party.

This mustn't be overlooked.

Unlike in the case above, one-on-one in similar semi-public setting most tend to use earphones.

Think what it says to your co-participant that their words can fly around beyond the confines of your ears among adjacent passageways and desks.

Even if your speech cannot leak, then - as with a traditional phone call - would they still prefer that your half of the dialogue remains muffled from eavesdroppers?

There are plenty of calls where this temporary refit suits. But there are plenty others where it likely won't.

Are you also remembering why you've chosen video for a call in the first place?

I purposely used the word intimacy in this blog post title. As in the sense used in the Trust Equation. And we certainly would want our co-videoee to trust us.

For that we must create an environment including 'intimacy'. Meaning a secure place to discuss and reveal delicate information. Promoting privacy, comfort to confide and respecting vulnerability.

Think the above achieves this?