One of the realities of the pandemic has been the increase of video conferencing calls used for meetings where social distancing was necessary. We've all seen the video conference calls gone wrong. A cluttered background or an inconsiderate roommate can certainly create an air of unprofessionalism. The fact is that your home is put on display for all your coworkers during a video call, for better or for worse. As a result, virtual backgrounds have become very popular in the business world today.
Virtual backgrounds are also highly customizable. If you want to have a busy background that features a waterfall or a cityscape or something that is eye-catching, that can be done. However, if you are more of a low-key type personality and want something subtle, perhaps simply a blurred background is more your style. Whatever your tastes, there is a virtual background for you. Here are a few tips for choosing a virtual background. But first, let's talk about what a virtual background is.
What is a virtual background?
A virtual background is a simulated backdrop that appears behind participants during a video conference. The background could be whatever you want it to be. You could create a beach scene, a forest scene, or even a cityscape. One of the biggest advantages of a virtual background is that you can essentially work from anywhere and still appear professional to your colleagues. No one has to know that you are working from the broom closet under the stairs. All they will see is a beautiful mountain view with inspirational sweeping views.
Virtual backgrounds can also serve as a way to lighten the mood of an otherwise dreary video conference. However, if you don't have a great technical setup, you may want to skip this part. Things can get messy if you accidentally choose the wrong image or if you have a poor connection. Good lighting is also important as it helps your computer detect where you end and your background begins. There's nothing more unprofessional than having your head turned into a lampshade on a video call.
How to make a virtual background?
When deciding on a design for your virtual background, there are a few important key points to consider. One of the first things you will want to consider is a theme, or a lack thereof. This can be as elaborate or as plain as you would like it to be.
One interesting feature offered by BlueJeans is a BLUR background feature. This is a simple toggle that allows you to not replace your background but to simply blur it. It also features different densities of blur that you can customize to your liking. The idea is that even if your office or workspace is a bit messy, your work colleagues will never know and you don't have to come up with a clever background to cover the mess.
Virtual meetings are here to stay
Virtual backgrounds have grown in popularity since last year. The switch to work-from-home has been met with its fair share of challenges and mishaps. The change was coming, but the pandemic hit the fast-forward button and now the world is more connected than ever virtually. With that has come new obstacles that businesses have had to deal with in terms of remote work.
BlueJeans offers solutions to many challenges that businesses are facing now with remote workers. Our suite of offerings can create a virtual environment that is not only professional but also offers choices, such as choosing a virtual background for a meeting. Remote work doesn't have to be monotonous, and sometimes a simple background image can lighten the mood or set the tone for a virtual meeting to enhance productivity and make workers feel connected, even if they aren't physically connected.
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About the Author
Priyanka is a customer centric and data driven Product Marketing Manager with a diverse experience. At BlueJeans, she is responsible for driving marketing strategy for the BlueJeans Meetings platform focused on go-to-market activities and product messaging. Prior to BlueJeans, Priyanka was responsible for driving strategy and direction for multiple product families at Fujitsu, intimately involved in creating optimal GTM strategy to achieve business goals. Priyanka has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Penn State University and an MBA in Marketing & Business Analytics from SMU in Dallas, Texas. Outside of work, Priyanka loves spending time with her family and traveling the world.
