Non-slip Note Pad Deng On

“Note Pads that have got technique!”

　　　　　　　The “Non-slip Note Pad’ by Vision Quest, 194JPyen
　　　　　　　The ‘Deng On’ by HI MOJIMOJI, 　450JPyen

　

Daily communication between work colleagues is already pretty well mainly done by email.

These are the times when, although sitting back to back knowing fully well that the person is immediately behind, we send an email.

Certainly, an email has the convenience of leaving a definite record but, even so, it still seems to have a somewhat bland air about it.

Also, with email, new messages arrive one after another and the message you have circulated is quickly buried amongst all the others.

Since this is the era when everyone communicates via email, it just might be that a message in the form of paper will actually be more noticeable.

Accordingly, this time some two such analogue message tools will be introduced.

To start with, the first one is a “Non-slip Note Pad”.

“Non-slip” is really a name with impact.　

The size is about the size of the note pads that are often found in offices.

　

If only viewed from above, like this, there is absolutely no indication as to whether it is slip or non-slip.

So, the reason this comes to be called non-slip is due to an arrangement where a grip is attached to the back of the note pad’s cardboard mount.

It is not about the meaning of the message slipping past the reader, it is about the note pad, itself, not slipping across the top of the desk.

If you turn it over to look at the back, something it seems you haven’t ever seen before is stuck on there.

　

It is beige coloured and, when you touch it, the feel of the material is extremely matte.

　

However, even having said it is matte; it is a little different to rubber.

After rubbing it for a while, testing the way it felt to the touch, a recollection floated by of having experienced this texture before.

This was on sticking plaster.

It is somewhat similar to the material on the outside of sticking plaster.

Look very closely and even the colour shows some resemblance.

As the product name implies, this sticking plaster-like grip tape certainly doesn’t slip.

Put this memo pad on the top of a desk and it tightly sticks to the surface of the desk.

Even if applying your fingers on top and trying to shift it, it doesn’t move.

It won’t even budge.

　

This is not for ensuring that it won’t move when fingers are applied like this; rather, the great advantage is in being able to write smoothly with only the one hand which is holding the pen.

　　

I want you to recall something.

In order to take notes when receiving a telephone call, the one hand holds the receiver while the other hand grasps the pen.

In short, you have to write the message on the note pad with only one hand.

However, when using an ordinary note pad, haven’t you had the experience a few times where, once the pen starts moving, the paper starts to slide unsteadily with it making it difficult to write?

Up until now this has happened to me many times.

The words written in such unstable circumstances could hardly be read by other people.

There was no other choice but to rewrite the message.

In a slightly more advanced technique the receiver wasn’t held in the hand at all, but the art of tilting the neck to one side and securing the receiver between the ear and shoulder was acquired.

By doing this, one hand could hold the note pad in place so it wouldn’t slide about.

However, this tilting of the head to one side is an unnatural posture and it is not particularly comfortable.

If you have this ‘Non-slip Note Pad’, you can write naturally with only the one hand that is holding the pen, with the note pad held firmly and not sliding across the desk.

　

Even having said that it is fixed to the desk, it is not a matter of it being stuck with glue or tape so the note pad can be moved about freely.

　

Previously, it was shown that even when pushed with fingers it wouldn’t move but, in fact, moving it, as shown above, is possible.

This is to say that if you try to keep pushing it from above it will grip tightly and not move, but, if you don’t try to push it with force, it is made so that if there is only a bit of light movement the stopper won’t grip.

　

Incidentally, the effectiveness of the stopper is not limited to desk tops.

For example, if you drop it down on the pages of a notebook it will firmly stay put.

　

As well as the typical note pad format the pages also come in ruled, grid and plain styles.

　

It doesn’t need to be confined to use as a note pad and is suited to stress free quick jottings of ideas and flashes of inspiration.

While the above is an idea for changing the way we look at the work of writing messages, the following concentrates on the point of conveying the written memo to the other person.

The name of this product is ‘Deng On’.

　

After giving a lot of thought to what the name of this product means, I found that it was intended that the words in ‘Dengon’be separated. (Dengon in Japanese means conveying messages.)

The reason for separating the ‘On’ will become clear afterwards.

These memos have animals modelling on them.

　　

When it comes to how to use these, from the start it is a little different to the norm, beginning with the way you write the message.

The title and the contents of the message are distinctly divided into two parts.

A title, such as ‘Please call’, ‘Please send an email’or‘Document requested’, becomes a section in itself for the main point of the message being conveyed.

It seems just like the subject line on an email.

This gets written on the shape of the animal.

Actually, this space isn’t large, so you can’t write a lot.

Then, the details of the message get written in the rectangular space below the animal.

　
(Photo above: ‘There was a call from A company please return the call’)

When you have finished writing everything, you tear off the sheet along the dotted line.

Next, the rectangular portion is folded inwards in order to conceal the contents of the memo.

　　

Then this is jammed into the gaps between the keys on the keyboard.

　

By doing this the animals are standing stationary in a keyboard jungle. (Does such a thing actually exist?)

Assuredly, the product name must have included the word ‘On’ to highlight this placement on the keyboard.

　

When the occupant of the seat, that is to say the recipient of the message, returns, these animals are probably the first thing he or she will notice.

If for no other reason than because there is an animal standing in the keyboard.

This certainly has an impact that is different to the note pads around up until now.

This time the three types I obtained were the ‘giraffe’, ‘rabbit’ and ‘crocodile’.

To make the most of it, it might be nice to try to give a meaning to each respective animal.

For example, on the Giraffe, a note such as, “I’ve put my neck out for you and I’m waiting!”

This might be an appropriate message for a colleague who, even when urged, doesn’t readily hand in a report.

　

Then what about “ASAP” for the rabbit because they are fleet footed, although this is considerably stretching the notion.

　

Then, there is the crocodile. This might be overdoing it even more but, because crocodiles are scary, what about using this when you’re a bit angry.

　
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　(Photo: Meeting!)

Messages like this one above, as far as I am concerned, have the sense of conveying priority over every other memo.

However, if the feeling of this is too intense, things might become overly exaggerated and it may not leave a very good impression with the recipient.

With this animal system, however, the message can be extremely conspicuous but, most likely, without causing any particularly unpleasant feelings.

Also, conveying messages by writing them on sticky notes is common.

These get stuck on the desk of the recipient on occasion, and on the PC monitor, but surprisingly the keyboard has been an undeveloped location for memo attachment.

The keyboard, as a location, was insecure for attaching sticky notes because of the unevenness of the surface and memos on normal paper are also insecure here because on the smooth surface they slip and fall off.

In terms of having certainty that the message is secure as well, this method of insertion in the gaps of the keyboard is superior.

This might well be a very good location for message installation.

And, as for not removing the message from the keyboard in the first place, the person would not be able to resume working; so they will definitely have to get the message.

　