You don’t need a dedicated room.
You need a dedicated approach.
Before an online call, I do a quick camera check.
It's not a vanity check, I do it because I want to know exactly what's in that frame and what isn't. Most of the best Presentation Zones I've seen aren't rooms at all, they're corners.
If you're predominantly on online calls and all you need is a decent backdrop, this is for you.
Working from home, though a blessing and cost effective in many ways, is not without its own issues.
There's the lack of privacy, the lack of work/life boundaries, and then there are all those pesky cables. Not to mention finding the right chair that fits the right desk can be more complicated than it should be- at least, in my own experience. I quickly learned that sitting on a sub-par chair earned me lasting back and neck aches… the gift that keeps on giving.
What bothers me the most when attending online calls- in fact, it's my pet peeve- are the bleak, vanilla walls and lack of character that so many people's backgrounds have- a wasted opportunity and misuse of prime real estate that could honestly increase your revenue in your business, if you treated it like any other business decision.
There's a reason for that, and it's been documented.
Environmental psychologists call this symbolic boundary theory: a space with a consistent, intentional visual identity produces measurable shifts in how both you and the people looking at you perceive what's happening there.
A designed frame makes you feel more professional and makes your clients read you as more professional, before you've opened your mouth.
The wall behind you is a first impression that runs on a loop every time you appear on camera.
Have a look around your space- is there an area where you can sit comfortably for longer periods of time at a desk or desk-height surface, with a wall behind it and sufficient natural light?
A room corner is a great option.
Your clients are not necessarily seeing the whole room, just a frame- roughly a shoulder-width image of what's behind you. I've seen people transform a call presence with a plant that cost less than a takeaway coffee, a meaningful piece of art and a lamp they already owned.
If space and budget allows for it, a shelf or sideboard behind you with your favourite décor on it or above it and a small to medium-sized plant creates depth and adds character to your backdrop. Complete the frame with a small lamp to add further interest, and you have the ideal setup.
Next, sit in your chair, open your camera, and look at what's visible within shoulder width on either side of your face. Don't look with your eyes, look through the lens, then screenshot it.
What is the impression that a first-time viewer would get about your business?
If the honest answer makes you slightly uncomfortable, that's the starting point. You just need one deliberate change that moves the frame in the right direction.
The quiz at dezyna.com/quiz takes two minutes and tells you which zone to begin with.
Let's design the spaces that fit the life you're actually living, not the one on the vision board.
Chat soon,
N