As a fully remote team, we don’t get together very often, so it’s great when we do. Unfortunately, one of the team wasn’t able to join in Edinburgh so we made sure the session was held in a room with a nice big screen so a larger-than-life Tracy could be with us.
Hybrid isn’t quite the immersive experience promised, even with all the tech at hand. Hiccups often mean, in reality, one side – either the digital (often the digital) or the in person experience – is in deficit.
Here’s a few pointers to design a good(-ish) hybrid experience:
- Make eye contact with those on screen
People on screen need to feel like they are in the room with you. Bring them off the big screen and put them on a little laptop screen closer to the group (if you can) so they feel like they are sitting round the table with you. Tracy was everywhere! But this was important so she wasn’t forgotten. - Clear audio
If they can’t hear you, it’s harder for them to participate. Obvious, right? This means multiple audio feeds around the room near all the people speaking, not just one microphone. Audio above visual, always. - You need a really good camera
Not just hi-res but zoomable, and moveable with the people speaking. Being able to see the whole room is great for initial orientation, but if holding a workshop in-person those online need to be able to follow the conversation and see the scribbles on paper to feel part of the flow. - Blended delivery
You have to switch the focus to utilise the best tool for the job. Collaborative brainstorming? Ditch the post-its and switch to digital collaboration boards – such as Miro, Mural, Canva or even a good ol’ google doc – so everyone is equal in that experience. Taking notes separately is fine, but if you need people to work together, it has to be digital – it’s accessible to everyone equally and they see the exact same thing. - Tangible things help improve connection
Call it bricolage or company swag, having stuff to physically connect with that is the same for both sides of the hybrid experience helps people feel part of the same activity. We had some ducks to demonstrate work allocation, but they didn’t reach Tracy in time, so we had her ducks in the room with us. This was a missed opportunity which brings me to the next point… - You gotta plan the heck outta the session!
So much more planning in advance is needed for a good hybrid session. Even when you think you’ve planned everything, you’ve probably forgotten really important things (like ducks!) so walking through the session many, many times before is needed. Whilst it takes away some of the spontaneity, it works a lot better for participants. - Strong internet connections (on both sides!)
- Don’t move around too much
Workshops can be fun, dynamic, and often a little messy. Hybrid (well, digital) does not like messy in-person environments. It’s hard to follow online. - Remember breaks!
Staring at a screen for 8 hours in a hybrid call is super duper tiring! Dare I say, almost impossible. In-person sessions naturally have down time, chit chat, and walking about to get another cuppa. Remote access folk need this planned in and acknowledged too. Assume a 3-5 hour session instead, with plenty of time for their own wandering requirements. Breaks are also when the magic happens – we all need to walk away from things to come up with the good stuff!
We knew this was going to be hybrid, and designed explicitly for it, but going through the motions again made these points really stick out. Don’t assume that hybrid happens naturally. It doesn’t. It needs deliberate design and a lot of care. Even the experts can always do things better (sorry Tracy!)
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