Spade in times of sanitary crisis / meetings

Because of the lockdown requested to handle the spread of CoVid-19, you might have to do some homeworking. How could you plan out meetings withyour colleagues and partner?

At Spade, we are huge fans of long-distance collaboration, since our agency is split in two different offices (one located in Namur, the other one in Brussels).

Each morning, we start off the day with a collective «scrum» (mêlée in French) by connecting the two workspaces. That scrum is the opportunity to tell and explain to our colleagues the work we’ll be doing that day and answer potential questions. Depending on the day, it can last between 15 to 40 minutes.

Needs for this kind of meetings

• the ability to organise a visual conference
• sharing screens
• handling a discussion via a group chat
• the ability to write temporary notes on screen
• record calls
• high video and audio quality

The purpose is to give the ability for everyone to participate to the conference at any moment.

Tools we recommend

Where.by  

=> no need to install, your browser is enough
=> creation of an account for the organiser
=> runs great on mobile (smartphone and tablet)
=> creation of private rooms with a personalized link
=> freemium available for 4 participants, premium costs 14€/month (unlocksthe ability to record)

Zoom.us 

=> the organiser needs to install a software
=> with or without software for the participants
=> video recording
=> ability to greenscreen (hide your desktop background with an image)
=> subscription at 14€/month

Google Hangout

=> Gmail account
=> automatic creation of a link by the Google Calendar
=> Google Hangout Chrome extension
=> ability to mask (blur) your background
=> ability to do a livestream on YouTube

Skype

=> installation of a software for all participants
=> recording available by paying extensions

Skype stays in common lingo because it’s been a precursor in the matter of conference calls. Meanwhile, it became a Microsoft software, making its use within a Microsoft environment easier (Outlook, Hotmail…), but it can get trickier outside of that environment.

Facebook live

=> Requires a Facebook account for all participants
=> Best approach is to create a private group
=> Another approach: using Facebook Workplace

The process is harder than on dedicated platforms. The organiser needs to prepare the connection with his/her computer. Then he/she needs to share the Live within a group or on their timetable.

Slack 

At its core, Slack is a chatting application that allowed to handle channels, gathering specific people. The application has been integrated via API to dozens of services. You can create a task in a software and the link between the two services will generate a notification in a dedicated channel.

A calling service (audio and/or video) is available in the subscription mode.

Other applications

• Facetime : only for Mac and iOS
• Mobile apps, such as Whatsapp, Messenger, …
• StarLeaf
• If you’re on Microsoft Office 365, there’s of course Teams.

Conclusion

According to your organisation’s digital level and rules already applied, you should certainly find a use for one of the solutions mentioned above.In any case, for the next few weeks, if we need to organise meetings, we will use one of those services, with a preference for Whereby (no installation required, all you need is your browser) and Slack (because we already use heavily the channels within our team).

Suggestions? Do not hesitate to share them!Want to know more about the good practice for meetings with colleagues and partner? Do not hesitate to get in touch.