Remote Workflows: Effective UX

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The uptake of remote working in the last few years, has reshaped the way that many organisations in the media industry operate. Teams have the same goals and responsibilities, whether working on premise or remotely, however, the stakes are much higher for the latter. Ensuring seamless collaboration is maintained across departments, without compromising on security is vital. But when teams are dispersed, it’s also important that technical infrastructure is user-friendly enough to keep everyone engaged.

With remote workflows and virtualisation, ensuring that tools are easily accessible regardless of location has become a given. But the way that media professionals interact with user interfaces and move between different systems is often overlooked. User experience (UX) is a crucial aspect of any workflow; get it right and it creates a positive working environment, get it wrong, or even fail to consider the UX altogether, and the user is left unsatisfied and demotivated. The UX encompasses all aspects of a user’s interaction with a media workflow, including the design, functionality, and the overall feel. By incorporating key elements into the design and development of remote workflows, broadcasters, content owners, and post-production studios, are essentially enhancing the productivity of their teams.

There are several key principles that contribute to effective UX. These include:

Usability

Does your system provide clear, intuitive, and logical navigation?

Major consideration needs to be given to the overall design of the system. Users respond well to design elements that are visually pleasing and consistent. Interfaces should be simple, without sacrificing functionality. The environment should allow the user to easily view, manage and track the progress of editing and content processing workflows.

Accessibility

Can your system be easily accessed from remote workstations?

You could have the best functionality, wrapped in the most intuitive user interface, but if it is not easily accessible to the remote worker then it can quickly lead to frustration. Systems need to be compatible across the board, regardless of where the editor or post-production manager is located. Cloud-based infrastructure also need to be responsive to the changing needs of the organisation and should integrate seamlessly with a range of third-party solutions.

Special consideration must be given here to authorisation. While it is important to make assets accessible, they should only be available to authorised users. – See our Secure Systems series for more on this.

Personalisation

Does your system support customisation?

Every media team has different requirements, and how they operate and interact within a company structure varies. A one-size-fits-all approach is rarely the right one, especially considering the diverse needs of global media organisations, regional broadcasters, and post-production studios. By providing options for customisation, organisations can tailor infrastructure, monitoring, and workflows to suit. Adopting a custom approach whilst leveraging the benefits of the cloud, means that companies can maximise efficiencies without compromising on UX.

Communication

Does your system provide tools for collaboration?

Media workflows should allow team members to work together efficiently and effectively on projects, even when they are not in the same physical location. Collaboration across teams is vital; not only does it keep promote continuity, but it also makes media professionals feel included and heard. Having the tools in place to maximise cooperation and close the gap in physical distance using virtualisation, goes a long way.

Organisations need to put the user at the heart of changes to functionality and interfaces. Not only will this make workflows efficient, but it will also help to ensure that users feel valued.

7fivefive provides cloud engineering expertise for the media and broadcast industry. Our remote editing and content processing solutions have been developed to put organisations in complete control of functionality and accessibility. 7fivefive supports the technology that supports your users. Our approach places media professionals at the centre of the workflow, and provides the infrastructure to optimise their user experience wherever they are located.

Get in touch to find out more.