How to Design Meeting Rooms People Actually Want to Use
- marktildesley
- Jan 23
- 3 min read
Why design matters more than hardware
Many organisations invest heavily in the latest audiovisual technology, only to discover that their meeting rooms remain underused or avoided altogether. Screens sit idle, cameras go untouched, and staff opt for laptops and ad-hoc calls instead.
In most cases, the problem isn’t the technology itself — it’s the design.
Meeting rooms that are confusing to use, unreliable, or uncomfortable quickly lose trust. When users expect friction, they stop engaging. At Collab AV, we believe successful collaboration spaces start with people, not products. A user-first approach to room design ensures that technology quietly supports productivity instead of getting in the way.
Why meeting room design matters
A well-designed meeting room should feel intuitive. Users shouldn’t need training sessions, printed instructions, or IT support just to start a meeting. When design is overlooked, even high-end AV systems can become a barrier rather than a benefit.
Good design delivers:
Higher room adoption and utilisation
Better meeting outcomes for in-person, remote, and hybrid teams
Fewer support calls and reduced operational costs
A consistent experience that builds user confidence
Design isn’t about aesthetics alone — it’s about how the space functions in real working conditions.
Key principles for successful meeting room design
1. Understand how people actually work
Before specifying any technology, it’s essential to understand the behaviours and needs of the people using the room.
Ask the right questions early:
Who uses the room — executives, project teams, external clients?
Are meetings primarily in-person, remote, or hybrid?
How long are meetings typically, and how often is the room booked?
Is the room used for presentations, workshops, video calls, or all of the above?
A boardroom used for formal presentations requires a very different setup from a huddle space designed for quick hybrid check-ins. Designing without this context almost always leads to compromise and frustration.
2. Start with audio, not video
If there’s one rule that applies to every meeting room, it’s this: poor audio will ruin a meeting faster than poor video.
Participants will tolerate a less-than-perfect camera angle, but they won’t tolerate echo, dropouts, or muffled voices. Audio design should be considered from the very beginning, not added as an afterthought.
Key considerations include:
Choosing the right microphone type (ceiling, table, or wireless)
Accounting for room acoustics, surfaces, and background noise
Ensuring all voices are captured equally, not just those closest to the table
Strong audio design creates inclusive meetings where remote participants feel genuinely involved rather than listening in.
3. Simplify controls and user interaction
Complex systems lead to low adoption. If users need to think about how to start a meeting, something has gone wrong.
Modern meeting rooms should offer:
One-touch join for scheduled meetings
Automated camera tracking and framing
Minimal reliance on remotes, cables, or manual switching
Clear, consistent interfaces across rooms
The goal is simple: users walk in, press one button, and the meeting starts. When technology fades into the background, collaboration improves naturally.
4. Design for flexibility and change
The way organisations work continues to evolve, and meeting rooms need to keep up. A rigid, single-purpose space quickly becomes outdated.
Flexible design elements include:
Movable or dual displays for different meeting formats
Adjustable lighting to suit presentations or discussions
Modular furniture that supports workshops, training, or board meetings
Systems that adapt easily between in-person and hybrid use
Flexibility protects your investment and ensures rooms remain useful as needs change.
5. Ensure consistency across spaces
Inconsistent meeting rooms create friction. When every space works differently, users lose confidence and waste time trying to figure things out.
Consistency across sites and room types means:
Familiar layouts and control systems
Standardised user experiences regardless of location
Reduced training requirements
Fewer support calls and technical issues
When people trust that a room will “just work”, they’re far more likely to use it.
Linking design to the right technology
Thoughtful design only delivers results when it’s supported by professional AV integration.
This is where design intent becomes real-world performance.
Effective AV integration ensures:
Cameras and microphones are positioned to cover the right areas
Displays are the correct size, brightness, and resolution for the space
Collaboration platforms (such as Microsoft Teams or Zoom) are seamlessly integrated
Systems are tested, documented, and supported long-term
At Collab AV, we bridge the gap between design and technology, ensuring collaboration spaces are reliable, intuitive, and genuinely useful.
Design meeting rooms that work for your people
Meeting rooms shouldn’t be a source of frustration. When designed with users in mind, they become spaces people actively choose to use — supporting better communication, faster decision-making, and stronger collaboration.
👉 Learn more about designing effective collaboration spaces:
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