Ask HN: What is the best whiteboard setup for the hybrid workplace?

by gimili on 8/25/2021, 5:24:28 PM with 2 comments
Hi HN Crowd,

Same as other companies we are moving into a hybrid work environment.

Here some things we are looking for: - people in the room should be able to collaborate with people who are at home. All looking at the same content simultaneously while video conferencing - everyone should be able participate actively (drawing) - ideally in the room this happens on a big screen in the room

From what I've seen so far: - solutions like Samsung flip2 seem to be only made for collaboration with people in the same room - pure whiteboarding SAAS Tools don't always work with available big touchscreens (browser compatibility, etc.). Or you will have to run a dedicated PC that is connected to the screen. - mirroring an iPad that lies on the meeting room table might be an option, but then it has to be passed around to draw

What are your best setups for this or similar use cases that you've found?

Thanks!

  • by trilinearnz on 8/26/2021, 3:18:55 AM

    We have a similar situation at my work, but we have all since standardised on using Miro individually on our laptops (even for the people in the physical meeting room). It's just easier, everyone has the same amount of control over what's going on.

    Usually the host of the meeting (they're over Zoom) will share their screen, which is then projected onto the meeting room's big TV screen. This allows people to keep track of what the main thrust of the discussion / collaboration is.

    For the meeting room participants, we have a single conference room-style wide angle camera + microphone combo in the room, which joins the Zoom session as a single user. The people in the room don't need to join Zoom themselves, they just log onto the Miro board individually. It's very easy to see what's going on, as Miro displays where the other users' mouse cursors are at any given time, and we use the "Bring everyone to me" feature when it's necessary to 'herd the cats' :)

  • by marcind on 8/31/2021, 8:36:12 AM

    I humbly submit for your consideration: https://sharetheboard.com

    We built this app with hybrid environments in mind, from the ground up. The idea is simple: rather than creating look-alike digital experiences or requiring people to learn new tools/techniques (often tricky in education sector), we believe that you should be able to do what you've always done and the technology around you* should do the heavy lifting.

    *Second point: we're surrounded by gadgets. Laptops and smartphones are omnipresent. We believe you shouldn't need new, dedicated (and usually immobile) hardware.

    ShareTheBoard allows you to share any traditional/analog surface online, using just a laptop. It digitizes handwritten content in real time and intelligently avoids obstacles (such as people), making them transparent. Your content can then be saved, shared, or uploaded wherever necessary.

    In other words: the best tool is the good old whiteboard (or even a notebook, if you're all alone) + your laptop, running STB.

    It's a Web app so you should be able to run it on almost any device (though Safari has some known issues which should be resolved soon). In September we'll be adding digital annotations, that will allow remote viewers to add content to your shared surface (overlaid visually). Presenting via smartphone comes soon after that.

    There's a free trial option on our site. Give it a go and let me know if you have any suggestions. Thanks in advance!