In the latest session of #AVintheAM—a popular Sunday morning Twitter chat—Chris Neto, #AVintheAM originator and social media expert, asked questions like "Could the current trend to oversimplify AV system design be hurting the overall function of the room?"
Here is a roundup of answers.
We shouldn’t need to simplify the system so much as the experience. A system can be complicated; usually, to achieve what’s asked for, the system has to be complicated. The experience of using and controlling the system should be simple for the customer.
The biggest issue I see is when someone sells a system to a client without talking about how it will be used. Then, I come in and have to let them know they bought a system that won’t support their desired sequence of operations .
Not sure it's about over simplification, more over complication. The systems are as simple as the requirements, it's complicating the functionality of the requirements that causes more pains, isn't it?
AV's job is to support the activities in the room. Room users pretty much use laptops, tablets, smartphones, and whiteboards exclusively these days. How we choose to connect them, display them, and control them seems to be where the real magic happens in our industry.
A well-designed system should be easy/intuitive to use, whether the design itself is complex or simple. In my opinion, problems arise when the wrong people decide which features are needed. For example, a classroom system's features should be decided by the teachers who will use it.
For more stories like these, read the full Twitter thread here.
To join in the conversation, watch Neto's Twitter page on Sunday mornings for the weekly discussion topics and follow the #AVintheAM thread.
Editor's Note: Some responses have been edited for style/length/clarity.
