3 creative ways to use sticky notes in the office

1. Sticky note art

Sticky notes are the ideal material for making large-scale pixel pictures. Use them to create artwork on the wall above your desk – they won’t leave any marks, are easily removed or replaced, and are extremely cheap, so they make a creative and practical alternative to typical decorations.

Use a range of different coloured sticky notes, and go retro by recreating 8-bit video game characters, or take a modern approach with geometric schemes. You can pick up some inspiration here, or use this Post-it tool to design a sticky note wall mural.

You can also make sticky note art with small-scale origami. Fold your way to desk mascots – YouTube has tutorials for everything from pigs and cranes to jumping frogs – or create handy items like an origami box!

2. Break the ice

When you’re welcoming a new member of staff or integrating teams, ice-breaker activities are a must. Make everyone a name badge with sticky notes, and then try some of these games to get people interacting and thinking creatively:

• The Name Game: Participants write the name of a famous person on a sticky note and put it on their neighbour’s head, without letting them see what it says. Everyone asks yes/no questions in an effort to decipher the name on their sticky note, but their turn ends when they get a negative response. Keep taking turns until everyone guesses the name stuck to their head
• Liar Liar: Each person writes two truths and one lie about themselves on a sticky note, and displays it on their top. Everyone must then network around the room, gaining a point for every lie they correctly identify. The person with the most points after an allotted amount of time wins.
• Draw Your Selfie: Everyone privately draws a self-portrait on a sticky note and sticks it to a wall. Players must then try to correctly match up the artist with their picture.
• What’s Your Number?: This game is for medium to large groups. Write a different number on as many sticky notes as there are people, and distribute them randomly. Ask the group to organise themselves in numerical order, without explicitly saying or naming any numbers. For example, a person holding a three could say that they are equal to the number of blind mice in the nursery rhyme.

3. Generate ideas and gauge opinion

Workplaces that allow their staff to share ideas and opinions typically perform more efficiently, so it’s important to encourage everyone to share. One great idea is to clear a communal wall space, and allow everyone to add sticky notes featuring their thoughts – whether it’s a concept for a new marketing campaign, a suggestion for improving communication or praise of someone’s work.

Alternatively, start off focused discussions and brainstorming sessions by adding the initial point and encouraging others to expand; you’ll soon have a thought bubble that’s packed with useful feedback. This will be particularly useful in creative meetings.

How do sticky notes help your office to be more creative? Let us know in the comments below!