OOO for web replaces boring video meetings with interactive conversations

Grids are for graphing, electricity delivery, and Sudoku—not human conversation. We built OOO for web to bring the energy and movement we enjoy in-person back to discussions over video. We’re looking for feedback from the spelunkers among you, so we’re pulling back the curtain on this experimental preview. Let us know what you think as you poke around.

Made for connecting, not meeting

The problem with video calls in the out-of-office (OOO) work era is that they turn every chat with coworkers into passive, formal meetings, with everyone awkwardly staring back at one another in an orderly grid. Back in the office, we used to have a lot more options—we could take a walk to the coffee shop together, have a round of beers at the bar around the corner, or just catch up over snacks in the cafeteria.

With the OOO app for web, you can switch rooms depending on what you want to accomplish—have a cozy fireside chat in a cabin, then switch to a whiteboard room when you want to draw some concepts up, then switch to a voting room to visually make a decision as a group. It’s fun, collaborative, and it gives people the freedom to move around and express themselves.

Hang out outside the boxes for a video call setting that feels more relaxed. Host a watch party where everyone in the room can watch (and react to) something together. Facilitate life-like, synchronous discussions around a shared screen. No need to play host; everyone who enters the chat can get in on the fun and decide on the settings. 

The more the merrier

OOO for web allows for many attendees—up to ten at launch with more on the way—and offers a slew of room options for more interactivity. There’s nothing to download; anyone can enter the chat with the link from a desktop browser (Chrome works best for now). Each room is its own world with different rules and behaviors. You can share a screen to demo new software, watch a YouTube video together, draw on a whiteboard, bounce around on helicopters, or hang like a bat. You can also show the output of your Mac or Windows mmhmm screen, so the audience can get right into your presentations.

What’s next for OOO

We know you’ll come up with even more creative ways to collaborate with your colleagues in OOO for web, so we’re opening this dangerously untested preview to everyone. In the coming months, we’ll be making OOO available and compatible across our various mobile, desktop, and web products. We’ll also release many more fun and functional rooms, as well as a construction kit for building your own.

Invite some friends to take OOO for web for a spin and let us know what you think!