Amidst a sea of electronic communications, memes, and motivational desktop backgrounds, the classic office bulletin board is still a steadfast source of information and inspiration.
A well-designed, intriguing bulletin board has the ability to get people to stop walking, look away from their phones, and absorb relevant messages. There is one catch though: Your office bulletin board content has to be good. Really good.
So how can you design a board people want to stop and read? Find out by exploring these workplace-approved office bulletin board ideas.
(Many of these office bulletin board ideas came straight from our Facebook group of office managers. See what nuggets of wisdom our community has to offer and jump into the conversationby joining here.)
Office Bulletin Board Idea #1: The Buzz Board
The Buzz Board is a chalkboard where you can post something new and buzzworthy every week.
Photo courtesy of Joanne via the State of the Office Manager facebook group
Why people love it: The Buzz Board changes constantly, keeping people excited by a steady flow of new information. Joanne likes to write an engaging question on the board, and she alternates between fun questions and work-related questions to keep things fresh.
How to make it: This office bulletin board is super easy to make. Grab a chalkboard (the bigger the better), some colorful chalk, and an eraser, and you have everything you need to make your Buzz Board.
Office Bulletin Board Idea #2: The Social Butterfly Board
This is a jazzed up version of a typical event board.
Why people love it: This board makes everyone feel included and in the know. Sometimes, you think you’ve let everyone know about an event, but really, you haven’t. This board helps keeps things inclusive.
How to make it:Post company-sponsored events and leave slots for employees to add their own events or event suggestions. Wednesday Happy Hour at Frederick’s anyone?
Office Bulletin Board Idea #3: The Fitness Board
This board reminds employees of ways to stay fit, even if they sit in an office all day.
Why people love it: Who doesn’t love feeling good? Plus, many people don’t engage in fitness activities because they don’t know where to start. Everyone will love getting the information and inspiration they need to get more active.
How tomake it:Post exercises people can do right at their desks as well as schedules for some local fitness classes. Include a sign-up sheet for the office fitness club if you have one. Make the board even more personal by picking one employee each month to share their favorite exercise and healthy snack choices.
Office Bulletin Board Idea #4: The Bathroom Board
The Bathroom Board is exactly what it sounds like—a bulletin board you put in the bathroom. Talk aboutcreative workplace bulletin board themes.
Why people love it: Who doesn’t love finding a bright and informative surprise in a boring bathroom? Plus, since people using the restroom are already in the “break mindset,” they’re more likely to stop and check out your message.
How tomake it:Start with a basic board foundation and post your announcements on water-resistant or laminated paper to keep bathroom moisture from blurring your message.
(Thank you to Lynn from the State of the Office Manager facebook group for this idea)
Office Bulletin Board Idea #5: The About Us Board
You know all that information you worked hard pulling together for your website’s About Us page? Well, it’s wonderful, but many of your employees have never seen it. This board gives you a chance to remedy that.
Why people love it: People love knowledge. They’re especially tickled when you can tell them something they didn’t already know about the place they work every day.
How tomake it:Fill your board with highlights from you company’s About Us page. You can list how many current employees you have, how many square feet the office measures, the year the company was founded, and more.
Office Bulletin Board Idea #6: The HR Hub Board
This board gives your HR department a venue for posting all the important information they have to share.
Why people love it: Employees learn about regulations, changes, and policies they never would otherwise. People are happy to be informed, and the HR department will be happy to have the perfect venue for sharing some information.
How tomake it:Every HR department has tons of tidbits they wish people knew. Simply ask your team for a few key bits of information to post each month.
Office Bulletin Board Idea #7: Not-So-Instagram Board
Use a blank board and some old-fashioned Polaroid cameras to get your office buzzing like a social media channel.
Why people love it: People will love seeing their coworkers caught in candid moments. That’s way more fun to look at than a perfectly posed headshot.
How tomake it:Create and title a simple board, and put some Polaroid cameras, tape, and markers on a table in front.
Post a list of instructions (make multiple copies so employees can grab the sheet and go):
- Snap a pic—any pic around the office.
- Use a marker to write a caption.
- Tape the pic to the board.
Office Bulletin Board Idea #8: The Half & Half Board
The Half & Half Board provides the best of both worlds—important information and fun information.
Why people love it: Thehalf & halfboard gives everyone a little bit of everything they want. With inspiration on one side and information on the other, this board will make everyone feel well-rounded.
How tomake it:Make each side of the board a different color to indicate that the sides are different. Put things like motivational quotes, employee birthdays, and pictures on one side. Put things like monthly event schedules, newsletters, and operations information and reminders on the other side.
(Thank you to Breanna from the State of the Office Manager facebook group for this idea)
Office Bulletin Board Idea #9: Ask the Boss Board
Share Q&As with the boss for all to enjoy.
Why people love it: People will love a board that answers the most burning questions they’ve ever wanted to ask the boss but never did. It also introduces people to questions they didn’t even know they had.
How tomake it:Ask employees for questions. Screen the questions and forward them to your boss, explaining your plans for the board. Give the boss at least a month to provide thoughtful responses. Post the responses on the board Q&A style for the benefit of all.
Office Bulletin Board Idea #10: The Local Foodie Board
This board tells hungry employees where to get lunch or dinner. It’s kind of like Yelp for the microcosm of your office.
Why people love it: People love food, and they especially love discovering local gems. Employees can use the board to find their new favorite lunch spot, and maybe, their new favorite lunch buddy.
How tomake it:Ask 5-10 employees to provide their favorite local lunch and dinner spots. Have them reveal why they love the restaurant and what their go-to dish is. Post all this info on a colorful board with lots of delicious pictures.
Office Bulletin Board Idea #11: The Everything-You-Need-to-Know Board
The Everything-You-Need-to-Know Board serves as an indispensable hub of key information. Employees know to peek at this board when they need any key bit of information.
Photo courtesy of Melissa via the State of the Office Manager facebook group
Why people love it: This board answers nearly any question an employee could possibly have. What’s not to love about that?
How tomake it:This board will look different from office to office, depending on the type of information displayed. Here are some items you might consider including:
- Work anniversaries
- Blog posts
- Save the dates
- New-hire selfies
- Words of encouragement
- Office closures
Office Bulletin Board Idea #12: The Snack Board
The Snack Board features the weekly or monthly complimentary snacks on rotation to get people hungry and excited.
Why people love it: People will love learning about the new healthy snacks they’ll be able to sample each week.
How tomake it:Write up a fun description to cut out and post with a picture of each snack. If your company doesn’t offer free snacks, you could recommend some healthy snack choices or try a free sample of healthy office snacks.
Office Bulletin Board Idea #13: The Shout-Out Board
The Shout-Out Board provides an easy venue for employees in all departments and levels to show appreciation for one another.
Why people love it: Employees will love getting the chance to give kudos to their coworkers. They will also love receiving kudos. Everyone reading the kudos will feel in the loop. So basically, this board is a win, win…win.
How tomake it:Post simple instructions on a plain board and provide pens and Post-its in an envelope. Finish off the board with an eye-catching heading.
(Thank you to Jamiefrom the State of the Office Manager facebook group for this idea)
Office Bulletin Board Idea #14: The Outcomes Board
Employees are more engaged when they can connect the work they do every day with real outcomes. This board will help them feel good about what they do.
Why people love it: Everyone wants to know their work is achieving results. This board will send morale skyrocketing.
How tomake it:Gather key points from the latest shareholder or executive meeting and paste them on the board for all to enjoy. If you can’t find any official information, email all the departments asking for their latest “brag points.”
Office Bulletin Board Idea #15: The Staff Room Board
The Staff Room Board is a classic and logical place to post information you want people to read.
Why people love it: People love getting convenient and relevant information. And putting an informative bulletin board in the staff room, well, that just makes sense.
How tomake it:Post the refrigerator clean-up schedule, summarize the company’s zombie apocalypse (or other emergency) plan, and post conversation starters for employees sharing a break table.
(Thank you toMichelle from the State of the Office Manager facebook group for this idea)
Office Bulletin Board Idea #16: The Safety First Board
Employees will benefit from a board posting important safety information, even if they don’t work in an office typically seen as dangerous. Put a warm spin on the typical safety board by asking employees to bring in pictures of the reasons they want to stay safe, including pets, children, and more.
Why people love it: People will love getting a dose of warm fuzzies along with their safety information. Plus, the cute package will deliver your safety message better than any boring option.
How tomake it:Set up the board and post the reasons you stay safe to give employees an example to follow.
(Thank you to Trishina from the State of the Office Manager facebook group for this idea)
Office Bulletin Board Idea #17: The Magnetic Voting Board
If you’re considering rolling out some new initiatives, this fun employee bulletin board idea is your chance to get input while avoiding the formality of a survey.
Why people love it: People love giving their input, especially on new initiatives that might be coming to their workplaces.
How tomake it:Grab a write and wipe magnetic board. Use a marker to write possible new initiatives across the bottom of the board. Draw vertical lines between each initiative. Place a bunch of magnets in a bowl near the board and put up a sign that reads: Place a magnet above the initiatives you like!
Office Bulletin Board Idea #18: The “Did You Know?” Board
Use this board to post “did you know?” questions about employees.
Why people love it: People will love learning fun facts about their coworkers.
How tomake it:Post facts about a person, such as:
- First concert
- Alma mater
- Favorite restaurant
- Hobbies
- Talents
- Interests
- Favorite food
Put the person’s picture under a flap. Employees can guess who the fun facts belong to before they check the answer.
(Thank you to Terissafrom the State of the Office Manager facebook group for this idea)
Office Bulletin Board Idea #19: The Book Club Board
The Book Club Board helps employees enjoy the most fun parts of a book club in just a few minutes.
Why people love it: Books. Need we say more? But seriously, this board helps employees get to know each other better as they explore book preferences. Who knew Rob loved reading about the Chilean Civil War?
How tomake it:Get 10 employees to share what they’re reading this month and why. If there is interest, you can meet up for a discussion. Post the book covers, the employees’ names, and a short write-up explaining why they’re reading the book.
Office Bulletin Board Idea #20: The Jam-Out Board
Get everyone working in sync with a board that features an employee-selected song of the week.
Why people love it: It gives employees a chance to discover new music and learn about what their coworkers are listening to.
How tomake it:Email employees asking for their favorite at-work song and reasons the song is ideal for their creative process. (Be sure to ask for upbeat and motivational songs that are appropriate for your office culture.)
On the board, post the employee name, song title, lyrics, and the reasons the employee chose the song. If you have an office speaker system, you can play the song on Friday at quitting time.
Office Bulletin Board Idea #21: The Gratitude Board
Boost office vibes with a simple gratitude board.
Why people love it: A daily reminder to live life with thanks and gratitude will put a smile on everyone’s face.
How tomake it:Cover a board in paper cards and fill in about 1/3 of them with amazing things you’re grateful for, like “amazing co-workers” or “good health insurance.” At the top of the board, write: What are you grateful for?
Provide pens and watch as employees fill the cards with good things.
Office Bulletin Board Idea #22: The Green Office Board
The Green Office Bulletin Board features easy ways employees can go green at work. The board doesn’t have to be green unless you want it to be.
Why people love it: Everyone wants to do good things for the environment, but many people forget to do their research. This workplace bulletin board idea will make it easy for employees to take small steps toward a lower footprint.
How tomake it:Print out online articles and infographics and post them on the board with some colorful washi tape. Place a suggestion box near the board so you can collect green ideas to take to the Finance department for approval.
Office Bulletin Board Idea 23: The Mission Statement Board
Put that glorious mission statement you and your team spent all those focus-group hours creating on a board for all to see.
Why people love it: Employees love being reminded of why they go to work every day. Hint: It’s not just for a paycheck.
How tomake it:Feature your mission statement in big, bold text on a bulletin board. Next to the statement, add mission moments and company accomplishments that contribute to the overall mission.
Office Bulletin Board Idea #24: The Motivation Board
This board features motivational quotes and leaves space for employees to add their own motivational ideas.
Why people love it: Powerful motivational quotes give people goosebumps, and the right quote has a magical ability to turn that Monday you’re dreading into an epic showdown of will.
How tomake it:This board works best as a chalkboard or write and wipe board. Put quotes on the board (write them or cut out printed paper squares) and leave a large open space. Post the question: What motivates you?
You’ll love seeing what employees fill in.
Office Bulletin Board Idea 25: The Travel Board
This fun board lets employees share where they’ve been or where they’re going.
Why people love it: People love sharing info about their latest vacation. Plus, the board can inspire a lot of amazing conversations as people exchange ideas about destinations.
How tomake it:Post a world map on a bulletin board and ask employees where they’ve been or where they want to go. Ask them why they want/wanted to go there. Post their picture and a small blurb right on the location of their vacation.
What does your office’s bulletin board look like? Let us know your creative ideas for a work bulletin board in the comments.
