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How does ThinkingWall hold up after 20 years?
In 2008, we installed wall-mounted ThinkingWall panels for a conference and events centre in North Leeds. Originally a school, the listed building was undergoing a major refurbishment to become a premium workspace. Todd Hannula, Co-founder and Creative Director of Shine explains that he was trying to achieve an “asset to the community, an innovative workspace, somewhere with a focus on fostering communication and bringing people together”.
Hannula specified wall-mounted ThinkingWall panels for his project to align with his vision for a state-of-the-art facility. Our high quality, durable, custom-sized ThinkingWall whiteboards finished off the rooms perfectly.
A meeting using one of Shine’s whiteboards, originally installed in 2008
“The ThinkingWall boards were so much better than any other whiteboard we considered. And for nearly 20 years of very heavy daily use, they’ve been great value. They still look like new despite mistakes like people accidentally using permanent marker on them. I’d wholeheartedly recommend them and would install them again in a heartbeat.”
– Todd Hannula, Co-Founder and Creative Director, Shine
A perfect-fit full wall whiteboard, installed in 2008 and looking like new, despite receiving heavy use
When we revisited Shine almost 20 years after our installation, we were delighted to find the whiteboards still in regular use, and like new even after years of being in place. Detailing like seams in the middle of very long boards (as above) and the edges of panels remains smooth and unmarked. The surface of the boards, despite mistakes like permanent marker rather than drywipe pen use, is still a sleek unblemished white.
“We chose custom-sized large boards to give people space for ideas. People use the full range of the board to make notes. We supplied flipcharts too but they are constraining in a way that whiteboards are not and we found that people removed the paper and used magnets to attach it to the boards and continue working. Also the charts were a benefit in the early days because people liked to take the paper home as a reminder of the meeting, whereas now people take photos with their smartphones instead.”
– Todd Hannula, Co-Founder and Creative Director, Shine
A close up of a discreet seam on a full-wall whiteboard shows no chips, cracks or staining despite almost 20 years of frequent use.
“When people have the group sessions, the whiteboards have been very well used. They really add to the offer that we have here. They’ve worn very well to say how long they’ve been up.”
– Deborah Pickin, Property Supervisor, Shine
A close-up of a whiteboard edge. Almost 20 years old and still in perfect condition.
When we installed the whiteboards at Shine, BlackBerry was the go-to work phone, USB sticks were essential work tools, and the printer was constantly used and the office’s social hub. It’s fair to say that the workplace was a different landscape then, with significantly different technology and before Covid-19 kickstarted home or flexible working.
Although technology has moved on and the format of meetings has changed, whiteboards remain a constant, and as well used as they were 20 years ago. The powerful simplicity of a whiteboard, and the immediacy and ease of idea capture is something digital tools struggle to replicate. Even in the age of Zoom, Miro and the like, nothing compares to being physically around a whiteboard with colleagues for ideation, memory and flexible organisation. Here’s to the next 20 years!
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