Quick summary: To set up monitors and displays in a coworking space effectively, choose the mounting solution based on how each area will be used. Individual workstations benefit from adjustable monitor positioning, meeting rooms need clear screen visibility, and spaces with changing layouts require mobility. Screen size and weight, VESA compatibility, and cable management should also be considered.
A coworking space can serve several different purposes in a single day. In the morning, a desk may be used by a freelancer; later, the same area can become a spot for video calls, while another part of the space may be transformed into a meeting room or lecture area. That is why monitors and larger displays should be easy to adapt to different users, tasks, and room layouts.
If a monitor cannot be adjusted in height, the same workstation may not be comfortable for people of different heights. If a large display is poorly positioned, some meeting participants may have difficulty seeing it. And if cables cover the desk or cross walkways, even a well-designed coworking space can quickly feel cluttered.
Below, we look at how to set up monitors and displays in coworking spaces—from individual desks and dual-monitor workstations to meeting rooms, event areas, and shared spaces. Many of the same ideas can also be applied to a home office.
Why Screen Placement Matters in a Coworking Space
In a coworking environment, a screen is more than just a piece of equipment sitting on a desk or mounted on a wall. Its position affects how quickly someone can settle into a workstation, how comfortably a team can run a meeting, and how easily the space can be adapted to different activities.
There are several reasons to plan monitor and display placement in advance:
- the same workstation may be used by different people throughout the day;
- rooms and work areas often serve multiple purposes;
- displays need to remain clearly visible from the intended viewing distance;
- desk space should stay available for laptops, documents, and personal items;
- cables should not interfere with work or movement;
- equipment should be easy to adapt for individual work, video calls, meetings, presentations, or events.
The basic principle is simple: first determine what each area needs to do, and then choose the screen and mounting solution.
How to Set Up an Individual Coworking Workstation
Individual work areas typically use either a single monitor or a laptop paired with an external display. In a coworking space, however, the same desk may be used by several people over the course of a day. Each person has a different height, sitting position, and preferred viewing distance, which means a fixed monitor position is rarely equally comfortable for everyone.
A more adjustable setup lets users quickly raise or lower the screen, tilt it, move it closer or farther away, or swivel it to the side. A desk monitor arm can also remove the monitor's original stand from the work surface, while built-in cable management helps keep the workstation organised.
This level of adjustability is especially useful in shared offices. The faster users can set up a workstation to suit their needs, the less time they spend rearranging the desk. When one user leaves and another arrives, the workspace also remains cleaner and easier to reset.
For more information about choosing the right mounting system, see our guide on how to choose the right desk monitor mount. In a shared workspace, it is also important to set the monitor at an appropriate height, particularly when several people use the same desk.
For a standard office monitor, a compact gas-spring arm such as the ONKRON G80-B can be used to create an adjustable workstation. For larger, curved, or ultrawide displays, consider a heavy-duty monitor arm designed for greater screen sizes and loads, such as the ONKRON G130-B.
How to Set Up a Dual-Monitor Workstation
Dual-monitor workstations can be particularly useful in coworking spaces for people working with spreadsheets, software development, design, analytics, content, or several applications at the same time.
A second screen makes it easier to keep more information visible. For example, one monitor can display the main document or project, while the other shows a spreadsheet, chat, presentation, reference material, or video call.
The challenge is that two monitors also take up considerably more desk space. When each display sits on its original stand, the workstation can quickly become crowded. A dual monitor arm can lift both displays above the work surface and free up space for a keyboard, laptop, documents, and other essentials.
Screen placement also matters. If both monitors are used equally, they can be positioned symmetrically in front of the user. If one is the primary monitor, it is usually more comfortable to place that screen directly in front of the user and angle the secondary display slightly inward.
For a two-screen workstation, the ONKRON G160-B is a suitable option.
For a more detailed look at who benefits from this configuration and how to organise it, read our guide to single- and dual-monitor setups.
How to Position a Large Display in a Coworking Meeting Room
Meeting rooms and open collaboration areas often use large displays, including TVs and interactive panels in the 55- to 86-inch range. A large screen can take on several roles at once. It can be used for presentations and training materials, diagrams and collaborative work, video conferencing, or document review. Instead of having everyone look at separate laptops, one shared display gives the group a central visual reference.
The requirements are different from those of an individual monitor. The screen needs to remain visible to everyone in the room and should be positioned at an appropriate height and viewing angle based on seating layout and viewing distance.
That means choosing not only the right screen size but also the right mounting method. A TV wall mount works well in rooms with a permanent layout, while a TV stand with wheels is more useful in spaces where the seating arrangement or purpose of the room changes frequently.
For wall-mounted displays, first determine whether a fixed, tilting, or full-motion TV wall mount is appropriate for the room. You should also check screen size, display weight, mount load capacity, and VESA compatibility before installation.
When a Mobile TV Stand Makes More Sense in a Coworking Space
Not every coworking space should dedicate a large display to one permanent location. The same screen might be used for a presentation in the morning, a small team meeting in the afternoon, and a workshop, lecture, or networking event later in the day.
A permanently mounted display limits where that equipment can be used. A mobile TV stand on wheels, on the other hand, allows the screen to move between different areas and adapt to changing room layouts.
A TV or interactive display on a rolling stand can be:
- moved closer to participants;
- repositioned for a different seating arrangement;
- moved from one room or area to another;
- used for presentations, training sessions, or events;
- moved aside when the screen is not needed.
For a coworking space, this means one display can support several areas without being permanently tied to one room.
A stand with an AV shelf can also hold a laptop, mini PC, media player, or video conferencing equipment.
If the television stand includes shelves, they can hold a laptop, mini PC, or video conferencing equipment. When choosing a mobile TV stand, look at the base design, locking castors, height adjustment, and cable management. You should also verify the screen size and weight, VESA compatibility, expected use case, and how often the display position will need to change. These criteria are covered in more detail in our guide on how to choose a TV stand.
If the main priority is moving the screen between rooms, the ONKRON TS1551-B is one option to consider. If the display height needs to be changed regularly, a motorised solution such as the ONKRON TS1552E-B may be more suitable, provided the screen meets the stand's size, weight, and VESA requirements.
How to Position Displays in Shared and High-Traffic Areas
Displays in coworking spaces are not limited to desks and meeting rooms. TVs and digital displays in common areas can show:
- room schedules;
- wayfinding information;
- event announcements;
- community updates;
- welcome content;
- company or venue news.
Because people do not work directly in front of these screens for long periods, priorities shift towards visibility, suitable mounting height, safe placement, and clean cable management. Screen size should also match the space and expected viewing distance. Information needs to remain easy to read for people walking through or standing in the area.
A wall mount is usually the better choice when the display stays in one location. A mobile TV stand can make more sense when the screen is used in different parts of the coworking space. In both cases, plan the mounting height, sight lines from walkways, and cable routing before installation.
Common Mistakes When Setting Up Screens in Coworking Spaces
Choosing a screen based only on size.
Screen size matters, but it is only one part of the decision. Consider the purpose of the area, viewing distance, display weight, mount load capacity, and VESA mounting pattern.
Using the same mounting solution everywhere.
An individual workstation, a meeting room, and a shared event space have very different requirements. Personal workstations benefit from monitor adjustability, meeting rooms need clear visibility for everyone, and spaces with changing layouts may benefit more from mobile display stands.
Ignoring the fact that users change throughout the day.
A fixed monitor position may work for one person but not another. The ability to quickly adjust screen height, tilt, depth, and viewing angle makes a shared workstation easier to adapt.
Overloading the desktop.
The original stands for one or two monitors can take up a significant amount of work surface. Desk-mounted monitor arms can make better use of the available space and leave more room for laptops, documents, and personal belongings.
Forgetting about cable management.
Cables should not cover the work surface, interfere with walkways, or become stretched when a monitor arm swivels or a mobile stand moves. Cable routing should be planned as part of the workstation setup rather than added as an afterthought.
Permanently mounting a screen where mobility is needed.
If a room regularly changes between meetings, lectures, presentations, or events, a fixed installation may restrict how the space can be used. A rolling TV stand lets the display move together with the furniture and seating layout.
Ignoring lighting and glare.
Even a screen installed at the right height can be uncomfortable to view if windows or overhead lighting create reflections. Consider both natural and artificial light sources when choosing the screen location and viewing angle.
What Coworking Spaces Can Teach Us About Home Office Setup
Many coworking-space principles also work well in a home office, especially when one desk is used for work, studying, video calls, and personal activities.
One of the most useful ideas to borrow from coworking design is to avoid building the entire workstation around one fixed screen position. The easier it is to adjust screen height, distance, and orientation, the easier it becomes to adapt the desk to different tasks.
If the desk is used for more than computer work, being able to move the monitor farther back or to the side can quickly free up the work surface for another task. In this sense, a home office works much like a small coworking space: comfort depends less on how much equipment you have and more on how easily the area can adapt to the person using it.
For more ideas, see our guide to organising an ergonomic workspace for different scenarios.
FAQ
What types of screens are used in coworking spaces?
It depends on the area. Individual workstations typically use computer monitors, while meeting rooms often use large TVs, professional displays, or interactive panels. Shared spaces may use digital signage displays for schedules, navigation, announcements, and event information.
Which is better for a coworking space: a wall-mounted display or a mobile TV stand?
If the display will always be used in the same location, a wall mount can provide a clean and space-efficient setup. If room layouts change frequently or the same screen needs to serve several areas, a mobile TV stand makes it easier to move and reuse the display.
Why use desk monitor arms in coworking spaces?
A monitor arm allows users to adjust screen height, viewing distance, and angle more easily. It can also free up desk space and provide built-in cable management for a cleaner shared workstation.
When is a dual-monitor setup useful?
Two monitors can be useful for spreadsheets, analytics, programming, design, content creation, video calls, and other tasks that require several applications or sources of information to remain visible at the same time.
How should cables be managed at coworking workstations?
Cables can be secured with clips, routed through cable channels, or organised using the built-in cable management systems found on many monitor arms and TV stands. They should not interfere with work, monitor adjustment, or movement around the space.
Final Thoughts
Coworking spaces are a good example of how modern work environments are becoming more adaptable to different tasks and users. The same screen can serve as an individual work tool, part of a dual-monitor setup, the centrepiece of a collaborative meeting area, or an information display in a shared space.
The best place to start is with the use case: Who will use the screen? What will they use it for? How much space is available? Will the screen need to be repositioned regularly?
This approach makes more sense than trying to find one universal display setup for every situation. Instead, each area can be built around its actual purpose—individual work, team meetings, lectures, presentations, navigation, or even a home office.
The ONKRON product catalogue includes single and dual monitor arms, TV wall mounts, and mobile TV stands for a wide range of workspace configurations.
