Perhaps it was the aesthetics at work? The boards really are beautiful! Maybe it was their ease of use? Whatever the reason, I couldn’t have been more stoked with the outcome of some of our whiteboard meetings.

The benefits of the watercooler effect

We started using the whiteboard in work-in-progress and brainstorming meetings to great effect. My two off-siders are able to map ideas visually as they occur to them, resulting in more constructive meetings and a better outcome for the clients. It was when the board wasn’t being used in meetings, though, that things got interesting.

I’d read about the watercooler effect before. It’s a phenomenon observed in workspaces that have informal communal areas that encourage interpersonal communication. The space around the watercooler is the classic example and where the phenomenon gets its name, but these spaces can be anything from the coffee machine to the office noticeboard.

What I started to notice happening around our office whiteboard was pure “watercooler”. When it wasn’t in use in  meetings, our whiteboard took up an ad-hoc noticeboard role in the office. Employees routinely wrote down social plans, encouraging messages and other informal notes.

Mondays quickly became meme day – employees would brandish their funniest memes from over the weekend and the office would vote on whose was the most hilarious.

I honestly couldn’t have been more stoked to see the watercooler effect at play in my own office. Studies show that it can increase worker productivity by up to 15% but more importantly (to me at least) our humble whiteboard was proving the focal point that drove office cohesion.

My framed glass dry-erase board is the star of the office

When I was shopping for a whiteboard, I thought I was shopping for a simple office resource. What I got instead was a beautiful interior focal point, an indispensable problem-solving tool, and a driving force in positive office culture. I couldn’t be happier with my purchase from JustBoards.

Get in touch today! Great service, great prices and Australia-wide delivery to your door. Call us today on 1800 654 917 or send an email to info@justboards.com.au. 

You know how you talk about four letter swear words – well, in ou school, we have five letter words – STAIN and GHOST.

Every whiteboard in every classroom had staining and ghosting, to the point that they were becoming unusable. Teachers were deliberately avoiding using them and finding alternative ways to present their lesson materials.

Everyone agreed that something had to be done. But what?

The staff meeting from hell

Well, everything finally came to a head two weeks ago at our monthly staff meeting. A group of teachers had banded together to, to put it in their words, to instigate immediate change.

Well, as you can imagine, their proposal went down like a lead balloon with Scrooge McDunkley. She immediately went on the defensive, outlining all the reasons why she thought being ‘cautious’ and ‘prudent’ were the preferred options.

Then all hell broke loose. Staff that were normally placid and reserved started raising their voices, asking why their concerns weren’t being addressed?

The group that presented the proposal were encouraged by this and became even more aggressive. Decorum went out the window. Things became more and more heated. That’s when I stepped in.

The petition

I had anticipated this donnybrook occurring, and had prepared accordingly.

We have quite a lot of well-to-do alumni who send their children to our school and who also attend the same church I do. Well, I had had some heart-to-heart discussions with these parents after church one Sunday.

I told them about how the principal bought cheap resources as a matter of policy. I also told them about my personal bugbear – the state of the class whiteboards. We decided that the best plan was for me to write a petition and for them to sign it.

The petition called for a change in the purchasing policy of the school, with a focus on quality rather than price. The first action item in the petition was, of course, to purchase and install glassboards in every classroom – no more staining, no more ghosting.

Included in the text was the parents’ concern about the education of their children being compromised, along with the implication that if things didn’t change, they’d have to seriously consider removing their children from the school.

I got some of our most important parents to sign, including members of the school board and leaders of the P&C.

The coup de grâce

When I produced the petition at the staff meeting, the principal’s jaw dropped. If her position was weak before, it was now untenable.

She knew that one of her key KPIs was to ensure high enrolment numbers – so, ignoring this petition would be career suicide.

The principal, after a few seconds of deliberation, agreed to all the demands in the petition, including the immediate purchase and quick installation of glass whiteboards  for all classrooms.

No more staining, no more ghosting.

We got our glassboards from JustBoards and I can’t rate them highly enough for price, service and speed of delivery and installation – just outstanding. Now everyone’s happy – teachers, students, parents – and me. I’ve never been so popular – smiles, pats on the back, offers of free beers… Life is good…

Everyone is happy – except for perhaps our principal.

Why choose a JustBoards whiteboard?

JustBoards will help you find the best solutions. We offer Australia wide delivery to your door. Contact us today on 1800 654 917 or at info@justboards.com.au

When preparing glass for thermal tempering, it must first be cut to size and edged. Trying to alter tempered glass after the tempering process results in loss of strength and even breakage.

Next, the glass board begins a heat treatment. This involves the glass travelling through a tempering oven where the glass will reach more than 600 degrees Celsius.

Finally, the board is cooled in a process called “quenching”. This is a high-pressure, rapid cooling procedure in which air blasts the surface of the glass. Quenching the glass causes the outer surface to cool much faster than the centre. This  causes the centre of the glass to try to “pull back” from the cooling outer surface. The overall result: the centre of the glass stays in tension and the outer surface stays in compression.

When this pane of glass is used for a whiteboard you get a material that is incredibly durable.

How are tempered glass whiteboards magnetised?

To make the glass board magnetic, a steel sheet coated with a chosen colour is laminated onto the back of a sheet of glass. To be clear here: the glass itself does not have magnetic properties.

Due to the thickness of the glass, our magnetic glass boards require the use of extra-strong rare earth magnets. These special magnets have a deep enough magnetic field to penetrate the 4-6mm glass pane to interact with the steel backing. Ordinary fridge magnets, on the other hand, just can’t manage it.

What makes magnetic glass boards so special?

Magnetic glass boards are relative newcomers to the whiteboard market but they’ve made a splash in the best way.

Where conventional whiteboards rely on dry-erase coatings as a performance layer,  the glass of a magnetic glass whiteboard IS the performance layer. They don’t stain, even after years of heavy use.

With a magnetic glass whiteboard, you’re not just getting a whiteboard, you’re buying a tool designed specifically to streamline your workplace processes.

Sleek, modern design

Magnetic glass boards are a dream to use, but they’re just as good to look at. Made from crystal-clear glass, they’re as beautiful as they are versatile – reminiscent of Scandinavian design principles in the best way.

Magnetic glass boards are sleek, functional, and versatile with a focus on natural, hard-wearing materials. They’re built as much for hard use as for style – a marriage of form and function that makes them truly singular.

A sustainable, durable product

Glass whiteboards are top of the whiteboard tree. Made from tempered glass, they’re the most durable whiteboards available making them an incredibly sound investment. They don’t scratch, dent or rust, making them ideal for use in high-traffic situations or as mobile glass boards.

As for maintenance, magnetic glass boards are the easiest whiteboards to clean and use. They stand up to repeated, heavy use with only a quick wipe-down required between brainstorming sessions.

A noticeboard and whiteboard in one

Our magnetic glass boards are also multi-functional. The magnetism means they can double as a noticeboard.

And it’s not just notes that can benefit from magnetisation. Imagine it: no more losing whiteboard markers to the clutter gods - simply attach a rare earth magnet to the pen and it can stick to the board ready for the next person to use.

Magnetic glass boards - the full story

Magnetic glass boards are some of the most versatile glass whiteboards on the market. Combining the strength and durability of glass whiteboards with the functionality of a noticeboard, our magnetic glass boards are where it’s at.

Our magnetic glass whiteboards even come with a lifetime warranty, and for good reason: with minimal maintenance, a magnetic glass board will be the last whiteboard you ever need to purchase. Until, of course, you realise that while one magnetic glass board is good then two would be even better!

Want to take one of our magnetic glass boards for a spin?

Get in touch today! Great service, great prices and Australia-wide delivery to your door. Call us today on 1800 654 917 or send an email to info@justboards.com.au