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Whiteboard Setup Ideas
Whiteboards serve many purposes in an office space. Learn where to setup your whiteboards in the office to best serve your employees. Read on.
Setting up a small conference room can seem like a tough task, we all want the best gadgets and tools for our office spaces. Fitting a nice conference table and chairs set in a smaller conference room, equipping it with audio and visual systems, whiteboard setups and setting everything up can be a challenge. However, out of all the conference room necessities there is one you should always make space for––a physical whiteboard.
What are Whiteboards?
Whiteboards offer a cheap and efficient way of boosting productivity in an office environment. It’s a reusable surface that allows you to brainstorm ideas, create storyboards, make diagrams, and take notes without wasting space or paper.
Whiteboards make it easy to explain your ideas, pitch your products, and plan efficiently. When all the important information is readily available to you on the whiteboard during a meeting, you can focus on the task at hand, without getting distracted.
Research also supports this notion and tells us that when you can visualize all the information and ideas, it results in better brainstorming and creativity.
Purpose of a Whiteboard
The purpose of a whiteboard is to help you in creating a visual representation of your brainstorming session while displaying all relevant info. Whiteboards are an ideal tool in collaborative office spaces because everyone can participate during a brainstorming session.
Benefits of a Conference Room Whiteboard
You can use your modern conference room whiteboard to create a timeline of a product or project launch. Whiteboards can be used for budgeting and keeping track of financial matters. Sometimes a physical whiteboard is used as an organizer to plan daily, weekly, or monthly tasks.
In a meeting with a client, a conference room whiteboard wall can display information about your company or business, as well as the main information about recent or current projects. It’s also a great tool to help you communicate a message to listeners and create a collaborative office space with a little visual help.
Types of Whiteboards
Whiteboards come in all shapes and sizes. The most common types of whiteboards include:
Smart Whiteboards
Smart whiteboards are quite common these days. The interactive whiteboard is nice because you can transfer data to and from a computer directly to the whiteboard, with little hassle. It also allows you to translate any diagrams and notes directly to a web application for further processing.
Smart whiteboards are ideal for conference rooms which see a lot of interactive sessions, storyboarding, or for projects where multiple teams or people are collaborating. They are often mounted on walls so they are great at saving space.
However, since it has so many great features, a smart digital whiteboard can also be one of your most expensive investments.
Mounted Whiteboard
This is a great option for a small and compact office space. A Mounted dry erase board cansave room and can hang on a free area on any wall available. Make sure to hang the dry erase board at eye level so you don’t have to stoop down or crane your neck too much to reach it. For a mounted whiteboard option, you can go with a glass or porcelain material, as they clean up quite nicely.
Desk Whiteboard
Desk whiteboards probably take up the least amount of space. They are designed for individual usage, to boost and maintain personal productivity. For a small office space, they are ideal for the conference room table as it’s easily accessible and simple to use. You can also buy one with an easel to help store your whiteboard markers.
Mobile Whiteboard
As the name implies, mobile whiteboards can be moved around easily, and are often on the smaller side to help with mobility. Mobile whiteboards are ideal for people working remotely, or for small-scale office setups that don’t have a lot of space. For a conference room, you can bust out the digital whiteboard if there’s going to be a visual brainstorming session. Otherwise it can be set aside in any corner or spare area of the room.
Grid Whiteboard
Grid whiteboards are ideal for diagrams and notes that need to be scaled. A preformatted surface can save a lot of time and effort for people working on visually formatted ideas. Lined and dotted whiteboards serve the same purpose as well. More often than not, these whiteboards are also wall mounted for ease of use and to save space.
Calendar Whiteboard
Calendar whiteboards are usually small in size and used for personal or small-team planning. Such whiteboards are designed to help you keep track of deadlines or timelines in an organized way, without taking up much room. Most calendar whiteboards are wall-mounted or hung on cabinet walls. Calendar whiteboards are available in weekly or monthly planner options, depending on your needs.
Tips to Maximize Space
One of the best ways to set up a small conference room is to incorporate as much natural light as possible. Good lighting can make a space appear larger than it is. You can also paint the walls in a lighter shade to create the illusion of more space.
When choosing furniture, opt for modern tables and chairs, instead of heavier, classic options. Make the most of your walls and use them to mount whiteboards, TV screens, and projectors. You can even opt for wall-mounted cabinets for storage and use shelving as coffee or refreshment areas.
Finally, whiteboards are such a useful tool in a conference room, consider making it the focal point and arrange everything else around it to suit your needs. Juniper Office Furniture Solutions offers a wide array of solutions from design, to planning, to installation. We can help you set up your office in the most efficient way possible.
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