10 free Zoom backgrounds that make it look like you’re in an office

If it’s true that your life flashes before your eyes right before you die, a large chunk of my playback will be dedicated to finding the perfect Zoom backgrounds.

In my quest to virtually turn my boring home office into what appears to be a boring, professional commercial office, I’ve sifted through thousands of Zoom backgrounds and found a mere handful that look realistic enough to use on a regular basis.

Here are the ones I keep loaded up in my Zoom app, plus instructions about how to set your own backgrounds and tips for making it all look as believable as possible.

How to use Virtual Backgrounds

There are a couple of ways to load up Virtual Backgrounds in Zoom. Before a meeting, open the Zoom app and click the gear icon in the upper-right corner.

This opens the Settings menu. In the left-hand column, choose Background & Effects. Then click the little plus icon below the bottom-right corner of your video, and choose Add Image.

You can also do this while a meeting is in progress. Click the little carat icon in the upper-right of the Video button, select Choose Virtual Background . . . and then click the plus icon to add your image.

If you don’t like how it looks, “None” is the first option under the Virtual Backgrounds collection. Select that to go back to your real-life background.

But I digress. Let’s take a look at the backgrounds.

The lonely bookshelves

A little bonsai-looking tree, a hidden coffee maker, and some barren bookshelves make this background perfect if you’ve got a small startup you’re just getting off the ground.

There’s also a small conference table and a cool overhanging lamp to jazz things up a bit.

The private office

This one leaves a bit to the imagination. Am I at home? Do I have a private office? There’s a tasteful- and expensive-looking lamp plus an ornate golden flower arrangement in this background to give off the air of style, substance, and focus.

The early, empty office

This background is perfect for those early-morning meetings when you want to give off the impression that you’ve beaten everyone to the office. Round it out with a real-life coffee cup and the other attendees will be none the wiser.

The industrial space

This spartan-looking office background shows you’re not afraid to get your hands dirty and you don’t need windows distracting you from the work that needs to get done.

The conference room

It’s not uncommon to need to escape your company’s nonsensical open-concept space to tuck away into a quiet conference room.

This simple but visually interesting background portrays solitude and serenity mixed with just the right touch of hubbub, thanks to the espresso cups, laser printer, and stacked documents.

Books and art

This wonderfully disheveled background connotes that you’ve been in the space a while, you’re not too uptight to perfectly organize all your reference materials, and you’ve got the chutzpah to play a black-as-night wall off of a beautifully white marble table.

The bullpen

Another great one for those early morning meetings, this background features seating for 13, all of whom you’re currently outworking at the moment. This one’s a must-use for weekend meetings as well, showing you cared enough to hoof it into the office for a single Zoom session.

The downtown startup

One of my all-time favorites, this background has a great window shot of what’s clearly a bustling city, a nice open space that hasn’t been soullessly converted into rows and rows of bullpen seating, and a nice comfy entertainment nook that says you value a little downtime to go along with your productivity sessions.

The basement office

Show off your creative side with this background, seemingly showing a once-dismal basement space that you’ve spruced up with colorful chairs, an accent wall in the conference room, and beautiful marble flooring.

The corporation

Arguably the most believable option in the collection, this great background perfectly encapsulates the feeling of a big, successful company inside a big, expensive building.

Details abound here: sticky notes, pins in the cushion dividers, stacks of binders, Herman Miller-like chairs, wilting potted plants. This one has it all.

Tips for more believable backgrounds

If you load some of these backgrounds up and find that they don’t look nearly as real as you thought they would, consider the following tips for improving your environment:

Use good lighting. You don’t have to go out and buy anything super expensive, but make sure the majority of the light in your space is facing you, not behind you. For best results, face a window. It’s a nice reminder that life happens outside of work and it’s great natural light for your meetings.

Position your camera at eye level. None of these backgrounds will work if your laptop screen is firing upward at an awkward angle. Consider a stand that props your laptop up a bit higher or buy an external webcam and mount it up high.

Invest in a green screen. This is the number-one thing you can do to improve the quality of your Zoom backgrounds. You can get green screens starting at around $20, some of which just attach right to the back of your chair. Make sure to check the “I have a green screen” box in Zoom while you’re adding your Virtual Backgrounds, too.

https://www.fastcompany.com/90961139/10-free-zoom-backgrounds-that-make-it-look-like-youre-in-an-office?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss