The reasons for switching to a high resolution monitor may seem simple enough, but the research behind larger screens is surprisingly extensive. And it favors the move to a larger display. For the individual, it may boil down to something simple like viewing experience and more enjoyable media consumption. Business owners often make the mistake of assuming that’s all these large displays are good for, but the reality is quite different. When adapted for employee use, larger screens are proven to boost productivity by a significant degree. The reason why comes down to the science behind human-computer interaction, or HCI.
Why does a high resolution monitor make sense for commercial reasons?
HCI studies how people use their computers, and also comes up with ways to better improve this interaction. For decades, the assumption was that computing power was paramount to all else, so that if a business was using top of the line computing technology, it would always outperform a business using older computing technology. This is true to an extent, but it isn’t the full picture.
People have a limited capacity to keep up with fast computers, and what researchers are finding is that it makes more sense for businesses to help their employees be more productive in other ways. One of the most effective and simplest approaches in this regard is with a high resolution monitor. Larger screens allow people to present more data at once and to keep it better organized. Instead of wasting time fumbling through multiple windows, an employee can keep everything front and center at all times. It’s like moving an employee from a tiny desk to a large one. They will no longer have to stack their papers and shuffle through them when they need a piece of data. Instead, they will have everything in clear view. This can boost productivity in amazing ways, and initial results suggest that doubling the screen resolution can increase productivity by nearly 90 percent, assuming a large enough screen is available to display the information.
A high resolution monitor also enables better decision making and more accurate work overall. When someone has to separate their data through multiple windows, they either have to constantly click through those windows or they have to memorize a lot of data to continue working. This naturally leads to mistakes, as people are only capable of handling several pieces of information at once. The more available the data is, the easier it is for employees to produce accurate work.
There are many professionals and organizations that could benefit from these displays, like accountants, scientific and technical experts, and data entry personnel. They are also extremely impactful for graphic artists, photographers, and videographers, who can use the larger display to see their work all at once, and not have to scroll around the screen to make edits.
In short, it’s one of the most cost-effective ways to boost productivity, and employee satisfaction as well.