The Psychology of Shapes: Optimizing Your Boardroom for Video Conferencing

The Psychology of Shapes: Optimizing Your Boardroom for Video Conferencing

In the era of hybrid work, the boardroom has evolved. It is no longer just a space for people in the room; it is a broadcast studio. If you have ever been the remote participant in a meeting, staring at a side-view of heads or struggling to see who is speaking, you know that traditional furniture often fails the digital test.

Setting Up a Video Conference Room? Start with the Right Table. The geometry of your furniture doesn’t just dictate where people sit; it dictates how well they are seen, heard, and understood by clients and colleagues miles away.

1. The Best Boardroom Table Shape for Video Meetings

The “Psychology of Shapes” in a modern office is about visibility. In a traditional rectangular setup, participants sit in a straight line. This creates a “blind spot” for the camera, people at the back are hidden by people at the front.

For video meetings, the undisputed champion is the Boat-Shaped (or V-Shaped) table.

• The Shape: Wider in the middle and tapered at the ends.

• The Effect: This slight curve ensures that no one is blocking the person next to them. Everyone has a clear, direct line of sight to the camera lens at the front of the room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. How to Set Up a Video Boardroom Room

Furniture placement is the foundation of a good video setup.

• Camera Position: The camera should be at eye level, placed centrally at the narrow end of the room.

• Table Alignment: Align your Video conference room tables so the tapered end points away from the screen. This mimics a theater seating arrangement, angling all participants toward the lens.

• Lighting: Avoid placing the table directly under harsh downlights, which create shadows on faces. Soft, diffused lighting works best with the matte finishes available on our Executive conference tables in Nigeria.

3. Smart Boardroom Tables: Power and Cable Management

Nothing ruins the professionalism of a meeting faster than a tangle of wires or a laptop dying mid-presentation. Modern video conferencing requires constant power. At Sojionet, we design smart boardroom tables with power outlets integrated directly into the surface.

• Pop-up Connectivity: Our tables feature brush-grommet flip covers or motorized pop-up boxes that house HDMI, USB, and LAN ports.

• Clean Aesthetics: Cables are routed secretly through the table legs and hollow bases, keeping the surface pristine for your Zoom calls.

4. What Table is Best for Zoom Meetings?

Zoom and Microsoft Teams utilize “Speaker View,” which highlights the active speaker. If your table is too wide or creates an echo, the software struggles to focus. The best table for Zoom is one with a matte, non-reflective surface.

• Why? High-gloss tables reflect the TV screen’s glare into the camera, washing out the image.

• Recommendation: Opt for Sojionet’s high-quality matte wood laminates, which absorb light and improve video clarity.

5. Modern Conference Tables for Video Calls

Gone are the days of heavy, mahogany monoliths. Modern conference tables for video calls are sleek, airy, and designed for agility. We are seeing a trend toward “open base” structures which allow for better legroom and easier access to floor boxes.

While many companies still Buy round meeting tables in Lagos for their small huddle rooms or creative breakout spaces, the main boardroom requires the strategic geometry of a boat-shaped or trapezoidal conference table to handle the demands of digital communication.

6. Conference Room Setup for Hybrid Meetings

A hybrid meeting must treat remote attendees as equal participants.

• Screen Placement: Dual screens are ideal—one for the presentation, one for the faces of remote participants.

• Audio: Your table needs to support central microphone placement or individual conference wireless microphones. Sojionet tables can be customized with central cutouts for high-end conference phones or “pucks,” ensuring voices at the far end of the table are just as crisp as those at the front.

7. Why Boat-Shaped Tables Are Better for Camera Visibility

The psychology of the rectangular table is “confrontational”—two sides facing off. The psychology of the boat shape is “inclusive.”

• Rectangular: Requires remote viewers to scan a long, flat line. People at the far end look like tiny dots.

• Boat-Shaped: The outward curve physically turns bodies slightly toward the screen. It equalizes the visual size of participants, making the CEO at the head and the manager at the far end equally visible to the camera.

8. The Sojionet Advantage: Local Excellence vs. Imported Uncertainty

When investing in Customized Boardroom Furniture in Nigeria, buying local offers distinct advantages over importing “flat-pack” furniture.

• Customization: Imported tables come in standard sizes that may not fit your specific room dimensions or camera angles. Sojionet builds to your exact specs. Need a table that is 10% wider to fit 14 people? We can do that.

• Material Selection: We use materials suited for the Nigerian climate, ensuring your table doesn’t warp due to humidity or heat changes.

• Assembly & Support: Imported tables often arrive with missing parts or confusing instructions. Our team delivers and assembles the furniture for you. Plus, our after-sales support means if you ever need to retrofit a new cable management system, we are just a phone call away.

9. Authority & Trends: Future-Proofing Your Brand

Your boardroom is where you close deals. It speaks volumes about your brand’s adaptability. A room equipped with an Executive Boardroom Table in Lagos Nigeria that handles hybrid meetings seamlessly shows clients that you are a modern, tech-forward organization.

As we move toward 2026, the trend is clear: furniture and technology are merging. By choosing Sojionet, you aren’t just buying a table; you are building a communication hub designed for the future of business.

Is your boardroom ready for the camera? Don’t let poor furniture design silence your team. Upgrade to a Sojionet boat-shaped boardroom table today.

Buy round meeting tables in Lagos for your huddle spaces, or explore our specialized video conferencing solutions for your main executive suite.