What should I write on the company whiteboard?
November 22, 2019 10:37 AM Subscribe
I just moved office cubes. There's a big whiteboard in the main hallway near it. Every day, somebody writes "Happy [day of week]!", with usually a heart or something on Friday. There's lots of room on the whiteboard, and this is just BEGGING for a new doodle or remark, snarky or unsnarky. What should I write or doodle on this whiteboard? (We're a bunch of smart, friendly engineer types who appreciate almost anything.) Thank you!
On the fourth floor of my building, there are a lot of collective doodles. Like, someone draws a tree, and someone else turns it into a Christmas tree, and someone else adds a Santa Claus and so on.
On the third floor, where I sit now, there is the suggestion to take your own containers to the cafeteria for takeout and a drawing of a fish (related? unrelated? I don't know) and they have both been there since before I moved to this floor and I am so sorely tempted to change them to something more fun, but I don't want to be the person who erases the message about environmentalism.
So, I suggest aiming for something more like the first one -- add something fun to what's already there and see if you can get others to play along.
posted by jacquilynne at 10:41 AM on November 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
On the third floor, where I sit now, there is the suggestion to take your own containers to the cafeteria for takeout and a drawing of a fish (related? unrelated? I don't know) and they have both been there since before I moved to this floor and I am so sorely tempted to change them to something more fun, but I don't want to be the person who erases the message about environmentalism.
So, I suggest aiming for something more like the first one -- add something fun to what's already there and see if you can get others to play along.
posted by jacquilynne at 10:41 AM on November 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
Quotes from a quote of the day website, but misattributed.
posted by GuyZero at 10:41 AM on November 22, 2019
posted by GuyZero at 10:41 AM on November 22, 2019
Always should be a math problem. Will Hunting could be cleaning your building.
posted by parmanparman at 10:41 AM on November 22, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by parmanparman at 10:41 AM on November 22, 2019 [3 favorites]
"Do not erase."
posted by bondcliff at 10:43 AM on November 22, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by bondcliff at 10:43 AM on November 22, 2019 [5 favorites]
Another option might be a trivia question. Write the answer on the back of a post it and stick it to the corner of the White Board.
posted by jacquilynne at 10:43 AM on November 22, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by jacquilynne at 10:43 AM on November 22, 2019 [5 favorites]
Dad joke of the day! It is a hit in my department.
posted by avocet at 10:45 AM on November 22, 2019 [7 favorites]
posted by avocet at 10:45 AM on November 22, 2019 [7 favorites]
A game of hangman?
posted by nebulawindphone at 10:45 AM on November 22, 2019 [7 favorites]
posted by nebulawindphone at 10:45 AM on November 22, 2019 [7 favorites]
[X] days since [insert ridiculous thing to happen here]
Change up with various values as desired.
posted by cgg at 10:51 AM on November 22, 2019 [3 favorites]
Change up with various values as desired.
posted by cgg at 10:51 AM on November 22, 2019 [3 favorites]
I like to draw Kirbies. They are pretty easy to draw and you can do different poses and have Kirby give a joke or word of the day, wear a seasonal outfit or hat etc.
Kirby’s key characteristics are cuteness and malleability, so there’s plenty to work with. If you google image search /kirby [something relevant to work]/ you’ll get plenty of inspiration or images to copy/trace. Also works well with the collaborative idea, you can fit a Kirby into almost any doodle and vice versa.
posted by SaltySalticid at 10:51 AM on November 22, 2019 [2 favorites]
Kirby’s key characteristics are cuteness and malleability, so there’s plenty to work with. If you google image search /kirby [something relevant to work]/ you’ll get plenty of inspiration or images to copy/trace. Also works well with the collaborative idea, you can fit a Kirby into almost any doodle and vice versa.
posted by SaltySalticid at 10:51 AM on November 22, 2019 [2 favorites]
In my old office, our whiteboard had a fun question of the week (e.g. "What's your Halloween costume this year?") for people to answer on the board.
posted by J.K. Seazer at 10:53 AM on November 22, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by J.K. Seazer at 10:53 AM on November 22, 2019 [4 favorites]
I like polls about favorites that people can answer: fictional detectives/ mythical creatures/ comic books, that kinda thing.
posted by wicked_sassy at 10:55 AM on November 22, 2019 [8 favorites]
posted by wicked_sassy at 10:55 AM on November 22, 2019 [8 favorites]
I always liked to write "One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas I'll never know" (Groucho, _Animal_Crackers_). Only I would write it, phonetically, in Greek letters, so it looked very fancy. Many assumed it was ancient Greek wisdom. Of course, if anyone asked, I told them. But it still looked lovely on the board:
ονε μορνινγ ι ψοτ αν εληφαντ ιν μι παιαμασ...
posted by ubiquity at 10:56 AM on November 22, 2019 [6 favorites]
ονε μορνινγ ι ψοτ αν εληφαντ ιν μι παιαμασ...
posted by ubiquity at 10:56 AM on November 22, 2019 [6 favorites]
Response by poster: Love these, thank you, keep them coming! Can you recommend any dad jokes websites?
posted by Melismata at 11:03 AM on November 22, 2019
posted by Melismata at 11:03 AM on November 22, 2019
I always like saying things like "your continued existence is acknowledged", which seems like it would fit here.
posted by kevinbelt at 11:04 AM on November 22, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by kevinbelt at 11:04 AM on November 22, 2019 [2 favorites]
MISSING: Small wombat. Answers to Horace.
DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES OFFER BANANAS.
Pls call extension 107 with info.
posted by Glinn at 11:06 AM on November 22, 2019 [5 favorites]
DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES OFFER BANANAS.
Pls call extension 107 with info.
posted by Glinn at 11:06 AM on November 22, 2019 [5 favorites]
[citation needed]
posted by teremala at 11:06 AM on November 22, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by teremala at 11:06 AM on November 22, 2019 [3 favorites]
Or you could be nice and provide the citation for why it's a happy Day.
posted by teremala at 11:08 AM on November 22, 2019
posted by teremala at 11:08 AM on November 22, 2019
"Always remember: each of us is not nearly as stupid as all of us."
posted by Chrischris at 11:08 AM on November 22, 2019
posted by Chrischris at 11:08 AM on November 22, 2019
"[whiteboard is voice activated. Speak loudly]"
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 11:10 AM on November 22, 2019 [10 favorites]
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 11:10 AM on November 22, 2019 [10 favorites]
Or you could be nice and provide the citation for why it's a happy Day.
It is widely agreed to be a beautiful day (see, for example, Rogers 1968-2001).
posted by J.K. Seazer at 11:28 AM on November 22, 2019 [5 favorites]
It is widely agreed to be a beautiful day (see, for example, Rogers 1968-2001).
posted by J.K. Seazer at 11:28 AM on November 22, 2019 [5 favorites]
"Help, I'm a two dimensional sentient being trapped in a whiteboard"
posted by nakedmolerats at 11:36 AM on November 22, 2019
posted by nakedmolerats at 11:36 AM on November 22, 2019
Is it magnetic? You could get multi colored magnets and have polls for people to vote on.
Venn Diagram of the day?
posted by Gray Duck at 11:45 AM on November 22, 2019
Venn Diagram of the day?
posted by Gray Duck at 11:45 AM on November 22, 2019
I was going to suggest a message in code, but these other options are better.
posted by Ms Vegetable at 12:00 PM on November 22, 2019
posted by Ms Vegetable at 12:00 PM on November 22, 2019
Response by poster: Ooh, Venn diagrams! Send me your funniest. :)
posted by Melismata at 12:02 PM on November 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by Melismata at 12:02 PM on November 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
Some engineers who used to sit near me had weekly absurd polls on a whiteboard. Things like "would you rather wash your body with shampoo or wash your hair with bodywash?" Pretty dumb but also amused me and coworkers whenever we walked by and occasionally started a conversation/debate on the way out.
posted by joan_holloway at 12:02 PM on November 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by joan_holloway at 12:02 PM on November 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
Someone in our office writes fun facts. Lots of websites online.
posted by FencingGal at 12:25 PM on November 22, 2019
posted by FencingGal at 12:25 PM on November 22, 2019
I was in an office where we got pretty into daily riddles. It was a ton of fun. I like these other ideas, though, too.
posted by mosst at 1:14 PM on November 22, 2019
posted by mosst at 1:14 PM on November 22, 2019
The date of the republican calendar! There's a twitter feed.
posted by zadcat at 1:25 PM on November 22, 2019
posted by zadcat at 1:25 PM on November 22, 2019
Some examples of "seed something and get others to play along":
My nearby whiteboard has organically accumulated "hello" in various languages.
A previous office space put up a sign of ' tip jar', which quickly accumulated small bills from various nations, as well as sage advice like "wear gloves when slicing jalapeños".
posted by batter_my_heart at 1:30 PM on November 22, 2019
My nearby whiteboard has organically accumulated "hello" in various languages.
A previous office space put up a sign of '
posted by batter_my_heart at 1:30 PM on November 22, 2019
(If you do a Venn diagram, please make it an accurate, real Venn diagram, hilariously depicting the relationship between multiple sets. Not some ... other relationship between things. Thank you.)
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 2:04 PM on November 22, 2019
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 2:04 PM on November 22, 2019
the last physical office i worked in, my desk was located in front of a big whiteboard. i took it upon myself to write down the funnier remarks of my coworkers, and it really took off.
posted by hollisimo at 2:46 PM on November 22, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by hollisimo at 2:46 PM on November 22, 2019 [2 favorites]
This isn't cheap, but could be very fun, especially if you could keep it secret:
https://scribit.design/ There also are DIY versions.
Also maybe a plotclock?
posted by at at 2:53 PM on November 22, 2019
https://scribit.design/ There also are DIY versions.
Also maybe a plotclock?
posted by at at 2:53 PM on November 22, 2019
Fitter
Happier
More productive
Comfortable
Not drinking too much
Regular exercise at the gym 3 days a week
Getting along with your associate employee contemporaries
At ease
posted by Huffy Puffy at 2:55 PM on November 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
Happier
More productive
Comfortable
Not drinking too much
Regular exercise at the gym 3 days a week
Getting along with your associate employee contemporaries
At ease
posted by Huffy Puffy at 2:55 PM on November 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
I would doodle punny animal jokes. Like a drawing of a bunny holding a stack of coins and a laptop: rabbitcoins. Or a snake with a hard hat: boa constructor.
Silly stuff like that. Maybe write the caption really small or upside down so people can guess what it is before reading it.
posted by Too-Ticky at 3:33 PM on November 22, 2019
Silly stuff like that. Maybe write the caption really small or upside down so people can guess what it is before reading it.
posted by Too-Ticky at 3:33 PM on November 22, 2019
For the middle of the week:
H S I O W
(George Carlin: "TGIF? Bull-Shit! Holy shit, it's only Wednesday!")
posted by notsnot at 5:09 PM on November 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
H S I O W
(George Carlin: "TGIF? Bull-Shit! Holy shit, it's only Wednesday!")
posted by notsnot at 5:09 PM on November 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
It might be some work to come up with, but a physics problem or math puzzle with a miniscule and valueless prize offered for the first solution might be fun.
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 5:43 PM on November 22, 2019
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 5:43 PM on November 22, 2019
For sale: frame of reference. 8” x 10”, mahogany. $45 obo.
posted by MexicanYenta at 5:58 AM on November 23, 2019
posted by MexicanYenta at 5:58 AM on November 23, 2019
When we moved offices, I left the new tenants a reasonably accurate map of Overlord/Normandy on our old whiteboard.
Took me five minutes or so, I hope it left them scratching their heads....
posted by AsYouKnow Bob at 10:28 PM on November 23, 2019
Took me five minutes or so, I hope it left them scratching their heads....
posted by AsYouKnow Bob at 10:28 PM on November 23, 2019
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posted by clew at 10:39 AM on November 22, 2019 [1 favorite]