Notes & Flags

FAQs

What are the best types of sticky notes for office task reminders or to-do lists?

For your typical office reminders and quick notes, it’s hard to go past the classic rectangular sticky note. They provide a good amount of space to jot down brief messages, to-do items or phone numbers and can easily sit on the corner of a computer screen, by a keyboard, or attached to related documents for quick reference. And once you no longer need a specific sticky note, you can easily remove it and chuck it into recycling - paper mills are equipped to properly recycle sticky notes without issue.

How do lined sticky notes differ from unlined ones, and when are they most useful?

As the term suggests, lined sticky notes come with faint guide lines included to help keep handwriting neat, evenly spaced, and properly levelled much in the same way of a typical notepad. This makes them a useful option if the vast majority of your sticky note uses are for jotting down notes, lists, marking important meetings or upcoming appointments, etc.

Standard, unlined sticky notes offer more flexibility when it comes to sketches, drawing out symbols or little workflows, and putting together informal notes. 

Ultimately, the ones you opt for depend on how you (or others) like to work. Of course, you can always have lined sticky notes for all of your handwritten note-taking and standard sticky notes when you need to sketch something out.

Are coloured sticky notes effective for organising tasks or categorising projects?

Absolutely. Coloured sticky notes aren’t just for aesthetics; they make it far easier for you to easily categorise and create a clear visual language for different notes, tasks, and reminders. For example, one colour could be used to denote tasks at a certain stage of progress or to differentiate between different clients and/or departments. You could also use the varied colours to help you identify urgent work versus work that has a deadline that’s further in the future.

Similarly, this same colour-coded logic can be used in planning and brainstorming sessions, with each colour assigned to a specific staff member’s ideas or the colour aligns with a set aspect of the planning session (e.g. yellow is for initial ideation, blue for preliminary steps of a new business effort, green for the executable steps of the effort once in motion, etc.).

Different colours have also been associated with different psychological effects. For example, studies have found that a colour such as blue is often associated with security and openness, which can encourage more forthcoming creativity and ideation. Red, on the other hand, can enhance people’s attention to detail. You can definitely keep these factors in mind during brainstorming sessions by using appropriately coloured sticky notes to speak to these psychological effects.

Utilising this approach with coloured sticky notes is particularly helpful for project planning, workflow tracking or study notes, where colour can act as a quick reference without the need for additional labels or explanations.

When should I use flag tabs instead of full sticky notes?

Generally, you’ll find that flag tabs (and other types of similar sticky tabs) are better suited to organisational needs whereas sticky notes are best for taking down notes and having visual reminders at your desk or affixed to a wall for reference. 

Tabs are usually designed with documents or files in mind, and they’re placed on different pages or sections of documents to make it easier to find important information in the future. These tabs are often colour-coded to help with categorising different sections of a document, which again makes it easier to find core sections at a glance. 

Flag tabs are also often used for specific actions thanks to a varied range of styles and designs, such as colour-coded options or shapes (such as arrows) that can draw attention to important information or sections. Think of a contract or official documentation that requires the reader to sign or jot down their initials at different points. Tabs with “Sign Here” indicators or arrows that point to the areas to leave initials help make this process easier and more efficient.

How do sticky notes perform on whiteboards, walls, and computer monitors?

Sticky notes will always perform best, adhesive-wise, when adhered to smoother surfaces such as whiteboards and computer monitors or the bezel/framing of the computer monitor. The same quality adhesion will also often apply to walls provided they’re relatively smooth and are both clean and dry. 

In terms of surfaces they may not adhere to all that well, this will often include surfaces such as painted walls or any textured surface (e.g. brick walls, uneven pillars, tables, etc.). Even if they stick to the surface well in the beginning, they may be more likely to fall off over longer periods.

Regardless of the surface you attach a sticky note to, you’ll want to ensure it’s free of debris and dust and that it is completely dry at the time of attaching the note.

What options are available for eco-friendly adhesive notes?

If you’re in the market for more eco-friendly options, you’ll find them at Office Choice. Many eco-friendly adhesive notes will be manufactured with the use of recycled paper, responsibly sourced materials, or lower-impact adhesives. 

Like standard sticky notes, they’ll provide the same everyday functionality you expect with the added bonus of supporting environmentally conscious purchasing decisions. They are suitable for offices or schools looking to reduce waste or their environmental footprint without compromising on practicality.