How the Free Whiteboard 'Mural' Enhances Collaboration in Virtual and Hybrid Meetings

In today's hybrid work environment, creating virtual sessions that are as engaging and participatory as in-person meetings is a persistent challenge. For years, our team realied on Google's Jamboard, a collaborative digital whiteboard, to help us bridge this gap. However, when Google discontinued Jamboard in 2023, we needed to find a new solution. Enter Mural, a powerful virtual whiteboard application that has transformed the way we conduct collaborative sessions. This article gives our recommendations for how to use this tool to engage audiences on many project types for both in-person and virtual gatherings.

What sets Mural apart is its ability to create a visual, interactive space that mimics in-person collaboration.

Mural provides a vast, “zoomable” canvas where teams can virtually work together in real-time. Its features include sticky notes, shapes, drawing tools, image uploads, and a wide array of templates for all kinds of activities. What sets Mural apart is its ability to create a visual, interactive space that mimics in-person collaboration. Mural has evolved into an indispensable tool for our team, powering a wide range of collaborative events and projects. 

Getting the Most Out of Mural

Here are a few tips for getting the most out of Mural:

1. Create a scalable board with clearly defined activity areas. You can adjust the size of the board based on the number of participants you expect and the type of activity you plan to implement.  

2. Pre-design your template and tailor it to your planned activities. It helps to prepare your template in advance of your meeting, pre-creating elements that your participants will use. 

3. Begin your session with a quick tour of Mural. Despite its intuitive design, a brief orientation ensures all participants will engage effectively from the start. 

4. Explore and leverage Mural's robust toolkit. Our favorite features include cursor tracking for real-time collaboration, timers for pacing activities, anonymous voting for unbiased feedback, and private mode for focused work. 

5. Leverage Mural's anonymity features to foster equity and encourage broader participation. These tools give voice to quieter team members and ensure simultaneous input from all participants. We think this creates a level playing field for various communication styles and enhances overall collaboration. 

   
   

How SPS Leveraged Virtual Collaboration with Mural

 Hybrid planning sessions are no easy feat. It is a constant challenge to incorporate feedback and input from virtual participants without taking away from the more engaging connection of in-person participants.

SPS recently used Mural for a hybrid strategic planning session that included both in-person and virtual audiences. Hybrid planning sessions are no easy feat. It is a constant challenge to incorporate feedback and input from virtual participants without taking away from the more engaging connection of in-person participants. Mural’s digital canvas served as our central hub, seamlessly connecting in-person and remote attendees. Our goal was to ensure equitable contribution by all participants. For those in the room, we had a centralized computer that joined the Zoom meeting and projected the Mural board onto a large screen. This made it possible for both in-person and virtual participants to see what each was contributing to the Mural board.  For some activities, facilitators typed feedback from in-person participants onto color-coded sticky notes in Mural to create a visual timeline for action planning.  

We also used Mural and Zoom for smaller breakout room discussions. Separate virtual "rooms" facilitated focused breakout discussions, further enhancing collaboration across physical and digital spaces. Each facilitator of a physical breakout room used a dedicated laptop and virtual breakout room in Zoom to take notes in Mural online and project it online for both virtual and in-person breakout participants.  

This approach bridged the gap between physical and virtual spaces, fostering active participation and seamless collaboration regardless of location.  

Explore Mural's Capabilities for Yourself

At SPS, we lean on technology to provide accessible and inclusive services to our clients. In this case, Mural helped us facilitate more engaging sessions that broke down geographical barriers and promoted equity. 

Whether you're hosting a strategic planning session, workshop, or any collaborative event, we encourage you to explore how Mural can enhance your facilitation of meetings. With thoughtful preparation and skilled guidance, it can help create engaging, productive, and inclusive virtual and hybrid events that rival traditional in-person spaces.