Find the light

Drawing lessons from professional TV broadcast lighting scenarios, Steelcase engineers found that light directed towards the speaker at around a 45-degree angle and bounced on a wood desk helped to fill out the contours of one’s face and de-emphasize dark circles around the eyes. It also prevented that dreaded under-the-chin flashlight effect, best reserved for horror movies.

Clear the background

Clutter in the background can be distracting, if not outright embarrassing. Some work-at-home employees go as far as ordering professional-looking backdrops to hide the laundry in the background. Simply clearing the background wall can also help simplify the visual information onscreen, and encourage colleagues to focus on your ideas instead of on personal photographs in the room.

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