User Experience is Paramount in an On-Screen Hybrid World

The pandemic forced millions of professionals, students, parents, and individuals around the world to adapt to a new reality where work, school, and home life are intermingled. This new reality has led to increased levels of screen time both day and night, from remote team collaboration and attending large virtual meetings to connecting with friends while gaming.

As the key Visuals solutions provider, it’s crucial for Lenovo to understand the challenges customers face to be capable of delivering modern display technology tailored to people’s needs in a hybrid world.

I connected with Stefan Engel, Lenovo’s VP and General Manager of Visuals Business, to discuss our expanding Visuals portfolio and why monitors still matter to people in the age of the laptop and tablet. Enjoy our conversation below.

Dilip: Hi Stefan. Thank you for taking the time to discuss monitors with me. The pandemic placed greater emphasis on the role of the laptop in people’s lives. It became an essential part of their remote work experience. What role do monitors play in the age of the laptop?

Stefan: Good question. Many users need to work with intense data and graphics applications. A monitor, particularly a large one, delivers a big, crisp image to maximize the visual experience. In the case of the laptop, an external monitor extends your screen real estate so you can be more productive. In general, monitors just afford you more options to arrange a set up that works for you – for example, some people leave their laptop open when they use theirs (like I see you doing, Dilip), while I prefer to close my laptop and only use the monitor with my external keyboard. Which makes more sense if you’re using an especially large or wide monitor, or even two monitors daisy-chained, side-by-side.

Dilip: Whoa, that would be quite a set up, I definitely appreciate more screen real estate. The monitor connected to my ThinkPad reduces the need for me to constantly switch between applications and helps me work on different tasks. For example, I can have a webinar play on the external monitor and take notes in a document on the laptop display.

Stefan: That’s a great example. Beyond work applications, we have other customers who benefit from computer monitors. PC games are visually complex. High frame rates and fine details in games demand a lot from a PC display, but doesn’t always mean they can or want to have two Monitors around the house. As we’re all learning, living a hybrid lifestyle means finding that happy medium for work/life balance – so something in-between a Monitor specialized for gaming and one that works well for business and remote learning. And thanks to our broad portfolio, we have several good solutions at various price points, so you don’t have to settle on a sub-par experience. Now, our gaming customers can enjoy an enriched game experience with a gaming monitor designed specifically for their requirements and late night gaming sessions, and in the morning, take a work call on the same monitor. In truth, nearly all our customers are clocking more hours on screens than they were before.

Dilip: Yeah, let's talk about screen time because it has spiked now that distance learning and remote work are here to stay. New research from Nielsen shows the screen time average is more than 13 hours a day.

Stefan: Yes, that’s a considerable amount of time. Also, a survey from OLX India reveals a 100% increase in screen time for children between 5-15 years old.

Dilip: The extra time we spend in front of our screens means extra exposure to “blue light”. What effect can this have?

Stefan: Exposure to blue light or high-energy visible (HEV) light can lead to eye strain and disrupted sleep patterns. Thankfully, there's a solution. Lenovo’s Eyesafe and TÜV Certified Monitors lower high-energy harmful blue light with natural low blue light technology that’s built into the monitor, so our users don't need to adjust any settings. This is a real innovation over previous gen software-based solutions via a blue light filter which had the tendency to impact display performance and color perception – this does not, which equals no compromises.

Dilip: That’s a solid reason to upgrade your monitor. I like how the user does not need to remember to switch blue light reduction on. It’s always available in our new monitors and doesn’t change the color perception for the customer. Beyond a great image, low blue light and extra screen real estate, are there other monitor innovations to help make life easier for our users?

Stefan: Yes. My favorite innovation example is our ThinkVision T27hv monitor, a product I really love (pictured below). We implemented some features to make life easier. One is a “presence detection sensor”. The sensor in the monitor can detect if a human being is in front of the monitor, and if not, the monitor goes to sleep mode.

Dilip: That’s a clever way to reduce your power bill and ensure privacy from any prying eyes.

Stefan: Precisely. Another innovation we have on the T27hv, and applied a patent for it, is what we call the “Smart traffic light”. Since people often use headsets, one cannot see if the user can be disturbed or is on a call. Our monitor camera has a red light which switches on as soon as the user is in an audio or video call, so other people can easily see not to disturb them.

And we like this concept so much, we are thinking of ways we can expand it to be usable with all our Monitors. We just launched two modular cameras, perfectly fitted to our Monitors and both feature this traffic light functionality – the ThinkVision MC50 for our P and T business series Monitors, and the Lenovo LC50 for our consumer Monitors. With this camera upgrade, you can turn your Monitor into a perfect VoiP solution.

Dilip: I like your example of the “Smart traffic light”. It expands our view of what a monitor can be.

Stefan: Yes. I see our monitors becoming a center of communication, interacting with all kinds of devices. Obviously, PCs and laptops, but also mobile phones, gaming consoles or any future device which requires a visualized output. People will always rely on visual information around them and in the future, monitors will connect with everything. This is why Lenovo monitors have ample connection ports so that customers can use them as their home’s hub for work, play, and accessory charging.

Dilip: That’s really useful, I have a lot of accessories cluttering my desk right now. What role can a monitor play in helping us keep our desk tidy?

Stefan: If you invest in a monitor with a built-in USB-Hub, you can reduce cable clutter on your desk. For example, you can use the monitor to charge your laptop and smartphone as you work. Some companies still prefer cable-based networking for security reasons, so some of our USB-Hub monitors also have a RJ-45 connector. This feature means the network signal can go from the network via the monitor to your attached laptop. And if you work for a company that for security reasons relies on the Intel vPro Technology, you can even get that through a monitor. In fact, we recently launched our ThinkVision P40w, the first Thunderbolt 4 Monitor that allows vPro.

Dilip: As monitors become “a center of communication” as you put it, will their appearance evolve too?

Stefan: Yes. I believe a monitor can be more than a fixed display on a stand. It will come in different formats. A new type of display are our mobile monitors for people who are on the road – maybe they’re transitioning from remote work or learning at home and into a hybrid model – and want to easily connect a monitor to their laptop or phone. I think the need for portable monitors will continue as people transition into hybrid work and learning environments.

We even offer our M14t with touch functionality, which can turn your non-touch laptop into a touch solution, for example. Since we are the laptop experts, we know what mobile users need: clear and crisp screens, reliability and lowest possible weight. Leading us to create our new M-series, and our customers love it.

Lenovo L15 Mobile Monitor attached to a smartphone.

Stefan: A future development could be a rollable monitor. I believe rollable technology will be a monitor game changer and bring with it a lot of new usage scenarios.

Dilip: A rollable monitor sounds incredible!

Stefan: Yes. Imagine easily transporting a large display under your arm and unrolling it for a presentation.

Dilip: What else can we do to look after our health since we’re all spending more time in front of our displays?

Stefan: If you work with a laptop for extended hours, you will tend to look down at the display which can result in back pain. To avoid that, use an external monitor and position it so the upper edge is a bit below the height of your eyes when you sit. Since people and tables are different heights, the monitor needs to be height adjustable. As far as distance from your monitor, it should be about 1.2 times the screen diagonal. So, for a 27” monitor, you should be around 32 inches or about 80 cm away from it. For a 32” monitor, it’s about 38 inches distance, or one meter.

Dilip: Stefan, to wrap up, is there anything else you would like to add about monitors?

Stefan: For many years, monitors were regarded as the supporting cast, and not the lead star. Monitor innovations focused on larger screens, higher resolutions, faster refresh rate or better brightness. Basically, tuning the specs of the screen inside a plastic frame. During the last couple of years that changed dramatically. Monitors have become multi-function productivity tools for the home or office user. If you work with a monitor that is older than three years, an upgrade will make your life easier. You will be impressed with how far they have come!

Dilip: Thank you, Stefan, and your Visuals Business team, for keeping computer monitors interesting and essential for our customers.

About the Author

Dilip Bhatia is Lenovo’s Chief Customer Experience Officer and Vice President of User & Customer Experience, PC & Smart Devices. As Lenovo’s Chief Customer Officer, Dilip drives the company to achieve its goal of being the leader in the PC, smart device, data center and mobility space. Start a conversation with him here or on Twitter.