I used to be in a position to take a look at the MC Squares moveable whiteboard product over the course of a number of weeks. Here’s my take and a few solutions on how you can use it.
MC Squares Whiteboard Tiles.
Image: Patrick Gray
There’s nothing fairly like a white board for collaborating with colleagues, or working by way of advanced concepts. While I’ll gladly commerce memos for e mail, or long-hand paperwork for Microsoft Word, I’ve tried varied technology-based replacements for the whiteboard however by no means discovered something that matches the tech-free ease of drawing, contemplating, furiously erasing (normally with one’s palm), after which refining that comes so naturally on a whiteboard.SEE: COVID-19 office coverage (TechRepublic Premium)I’m additionally an enormous fan of the whiteboard’s frequent companion in crime, the sticky observe. Much of my work includes distilling analysis and knowledge into broad themes, an exercise that was comparatively simple when my staff was collectively in a specialised “collaboration space” which was mainly a room with floor-to-ceiling whiteboard partitions, and stacks of sticky notes and markers. Soon after arriving, my groups can have turned the gleaming white partitions into one thing that appears prefer it got here from a police drama, with partitions filled with notes with multi-colored circles and arrows connecting them, creating a way of order for those who created it, and seemingly including to the chaos to the uninitiated.As I’ve transitioned to the distant working world, other than the advantages of bodily collaboration, I’ve additionally missed easy accessibility to whiteboards. I’ve restricted wall house in my residence workplace, and in addition work in different areas in my residence, making a set whiteboard impractical. A top quality whiteboard of an affordable dimension can also be not low cost or simple to move, so I made do with out one.Taking notes on MC Squares.
Image: MC Squares
Enter the sq.
I used to be not too long ago contacted by MC Squares, an organization I’d seen on Shark Tank, and remembered from the founder’s “busy” sport coat. The firm provided to ship me a starter pack of their whiteboard tiles, that are basically sq. items of whiteboard materials that include magnets and particular pads that enable the squares to be connected and faraway from non-porous surfaces like glass or a easy wooden desk (though sadly they do not appear to stick to partitions). I acquired a big sq. that is about 11 ¼-inches on all sides, and smaller squares which are about 5 ¼-inches on all sides, in addition to a pack of multicolored bands that loop onto the smaller squares.
SEE: How to eradicate the Sunday Scaries and be extra productive (TechRepublic)I like new organizational and collaboration instruments, so was moderately excited when the field arrived. However, with a group of squares, markers, and a rainbow of coloured bands arrayed on my desk I wasn’t fairly positive the place to start out or how you can finest make use of my new instruments.This was my first problem with MC Squares. It felt like there was quite a lot of thought that went into the product, however little or no steerage was offered on how one would possibly use the squares and bands. I visited the MC Squares web site and once more discovered little sensible steerage on how one would possibly use the squares, even one thing as fundamental as what supplies the adhesive, which is seemingly not an precise adhesive with the intention to keep away from marring any surfaces, would keep on with.The sticky notes choice of MC Squares.
Image: MC Squares
Sticky observe 2.0The most blatant use I discovered for the smaller squares was as a sticky observe various. Each sq. has a round “patch” on the again that serves as a magnet and attachment level. Squares neatly stack because of the magnet, making it simple to seize a tile, and write the random notes that I’d normally scribble on a sticky observe that leads to the trash. Aside from the environmental profit, the squares are simple to control and slide round on a desk. This is nice for storyboarding or sequencing concepts.The small tiles additionally magnetically keep on with a quadrant of the bigger sq. or a magnetized whiteboard. This was novel and enjoyable for creating the traditional 2-by-2 chart, however not as helpful because the magnetic function can be with a big whiteboard. The different problem I had with the smaller tiles was that the appeared to have some type of residue or totally different coating that prompted the dry-erase markets to not carry out in addition to on the bigger tiles. A wipe with some family cleaner mounted the issue, but it surely was an odd distinction between the 2 tile sizes.SEE: Early fowl or night time owl? How to win the morning both method (TechRepublic)The bigger squares labored effectively for taking notes, or sketching diagrams. When utilizing a daring coloration, it was additionally comparatively simple to carry up a board for my webcam to share an idea on a video name. The giant squares are equally magnetized, permitting them to stack and keep collectively like their smaller siblings.The bands appeared very fascinating, and my children beloved them as bracelets or making “rainbows” on the smaller boards, however regardless of some makes an attempt I did not discover a lot use for them. The MC Squares web site instructed you would use the bands to hyperlink smaller tiles collectively, categorize squares, or use the markings on the squares to do issues like create a weekly schedule. This once more appeared like an fascinating idea, nevertheless with none concrete steerage on how one would possibly successfully use them. I drained utilizing the bands to categorize tiles, however discovered the train to be extra bother than the profit.A spherical model of MC Squares.
Image: MC Squares
Sticking roundThe “adhesive” disks on the again of the tiles had been fascinating in that they apparently use a suction course of moderately than any precise adhesive. This prevents any residue or marring from occurring. This is an apparent constructive, and I didn’t discover any marks when sticking tiles on glass or furnishings, and the disks had been far more efficient than sticky observe “glue.” The important downside with the disks is that they solely adhere to easy surfaces like glass, steel, or polished furnishings. This is nice for protecting a tile planted to your desk whereas taking notes, or sticking to the door of a cupboard, however they do not keep on with partitions, no less than the assorted partitions I attempted in my residence.SEE: 5 issues leaders ought to by no means say to their groups (TechRepublic)I used to be frankly hoping I might stick a number of tiles to a wall and create a short lived whiteboard of kinds, or simulate the impact of storyboarding or categorizing ideas whereas standing. To be truthful, sticky notes wrestle to stay to partitions, however they will typically stick and ultimately fall versus MC Squares not sticking in any respect.Are Squares for me?After a month of attempting to combine MC Squares into my day by day workflow, it appears there are two useful use circumstances for distant staff. The apparent one is a extra environmentally pleasant various to paper and sticky notes, and a lower-cost various to a big whiteboard. The second is probably extra refined. If you are attempting to develop a fancy story, or categorize disparate data, the flexibility to put a dozen tiles on the kitchen desk and shortly kind and regulate is helpful. I consider this impact can be much more profound if one was working with a staff, a situation the place the bands would possibly play a much bigger position. I’d like to have a stack of the mini-tiles in each convention room I encountered for precisely this function.Various starter kits can be found from the corporate, and a wide range of extra shapes can be found, permitting customers to create custom-made classes, Kanban-style boards, or no matter their creativeness can conjure. For the distant employee, a stack of small and bigger tiles are a worthy addition to at least one’s desk.
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