Let’s start this article with a simple question - do you know when was the whiteboard invented? Well, according to sources on Wikipedia, whiteboards became commercially available in the early 1960s, but did not become widely used until 30 years later. It’s popularity increased significantly in the mid-1990s and it eventually replaced it’s predecessor, chalk blackboards!
In the early years, the whiteboards were rather difficult to clean as it needed to be wiped with a damp cloth and even then, markers had a tendency to leave marks behind (whiteboards markers have yet to be invented at that point of time). Fast forward to today, whiteboards have come a long way and are a staple in classrooms, lecture halls, offices, meeting rooms, and even at home.
In line with its growing popularity and demand, now whiteboard users have ample options to choose from - in terms of size, frame, surface (magnetic or non-magnetic), type, and even accessories to complement its use and effectiveness in our daily life. With the range of available options, it can get pretty overwhelming to choose and decide on a whiteboard to suit your specific need and preferences. Summarized below are some of the key points on how to choose the right whiteboard which would benefit you (and your daily life) the most.
There are many different features available for a whiteboard. Hence, the first thing to do would be define your needs in order to select the right one. What are you planning to use the whiteboard for? How many people would be using it? These sorts of things are best decided in advance. Reason being, you would not want to choose the same whiteboard for your office meeting room as the one your family uses on a refrigerator at home.
For the meeting rooms at the office, a large heavy-duty whiteboard which is mounted on the wall would be suitable for formal presentations and brainstorming. If it’s more of a startup company with a fairly small team, a flip chart board would work perfectly to facilitate group work and boost team spirit as well as productivity. On the other hand, if it’s a whiteboard for household use, a magnetic whiteboard would fit better in terms of ease of use and convenience.
Check out this magnetic whiteboard from Lion File, from as low as RM20.40! It comes in a durable aluminium frame with safe PVC corners - perfect for family with young kids or clumsy adults. Moreover, it has an adjustable aluminium marker pen tray for users to leave their marker pens, whiteboard duster and other whiteboard accessories on the tray. Best part, the magnetic whiteboard can be mounted vertically or horizontally based on the user's preference.
In addition to its usage and need, a key selection criteria for whiteboard would be the size of the area available and where you would want to place the board itself. Start by measuring the space for the whiteboard and decide the right size that would fit nicely in it. Given that the whiteboards these days are available in different sizes, you will most likely not have any trouble finding the perfect one to fit your space.
Another thing to note is - if you are purchasing a whiteboard to be used in a lecture hall, chances are you would want to be able to move the whiteboard around, whether it’s to different sides of the hall or perhaps for a special event use. In such cases, it’s a good idea to consider purchasing a mobile stand. Remember to take note of the board size and assembly size in order to purchase the right whiteboard stand model.
Moving on, whiteboard accessories help to complement the use of a whiteboard which in turn, creates the perfect and most-effective whiteboard. For starters, you will need to purchase markers and whiteboard dusters. Refill inks are important to have as well - you can consider Artline Whiteboard Marker Refill Ink, which can also be used for whiteboard markers from other brands. Now, if you have a magnetic whiteboard, you can get some whiteboard magnets or magnetic colour strip to hold sheets of paper securely or to highlight important to-do-lists and notes on the board.
This should serve as a good whiteboard buying guide to help you find the right one for your space, use and preferences. For more stationery and office supplies, check out https://store.lionfile.com.