Ask Me! (discussion about shirts/tags/hats/pins/etc... for New Member Integration)

In response to the “New Member Integration” thread ( https://talk.dallasmakerspace.org/t/new-member-integration/13493 ), I mentioned the following:

Down below is the text from the original e-mail that I had sent to PR with my suggestion a couple of years ago. There were a handful of messages in response, and then I even printed up some mock tags to take to a member (or board?) meeting (Don’t laugh at the samples too hard ~ I never claimed to be an artist! hahaha…). I still believe that we should do two things at least…

  1. Have some type of way for new members and visitors to identify volunteers who are willing to answer questions and provide guidance, as well as a way for new members to be able to identify members of the Board of Directors (and optimally committee chairpersons). This could be done be accomplished by having the willing volunteers wear “something” (badge, sticker, shirt, hat, pin etc…) that easily identifies the willing volunteers as approachable.

  2. Have some way for current members to be able to easily identify new members and visitors. This would probably still be best approached by having stick on labels in the lobby with “Visitor” or “New Member” printed on it (and possibly a place for them to write their first name…).

As far as the ‘design’ of whatever is chosen to be worn?

I would like to suggest the following as guidelines:

  1. It would be best, in my opinion, if the most prominent words are “Ask Me!”, “Just Ask!”, “Have a Question?”, “Got Questions?!” (something along those lines…).

  2. Even though the new members / visitors would already be in the building (presumably), I still believe it’s best to avoid using “DMS” - because it may not be as obvious that the shirt/tag/hat/pin is actually being worn as a Dallas Makerspace item (While “DMS” is usually quickly learned; it may not be obvious to someone on their first/early visits). I believe it would be best to either put, “Dallas Makerspace” and/or a simple copy of our logo (the same logo that they see when they enter the front door).

  3. Other than including a large “Ask Me!” type statement, along with either the words “Dallas Makerspace” and/or the logo… I would suggest keeping the rest of the design very simple… as in - probably not much else, other than perhaps a “Welcome” (which could be something like, “Welcome to Dallas Makerspace!”). The point being to emphasis that: We are members of Dallas Makerspace; and, We would like to help You!

  4. Consider putting a sign in the lobby that says something along the line of "If you have questions, look for volunteers wearing “Ask Me!” (along with photos of some of the more commonly used options that the volunteers decide to wear)

I’m going to pull the rest of the related responses out of the original thread, and put them into this one - to keep the “Ask Me!” topic from cluttering up the rest of the primary “New Member Integration” thread.

Thanks to everyone who is working toward making something like this finally happen!!!


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Lisa Selk
Date: Mon, Jun 2, 2014 at 7:52 PM
Subject: Name Tags
To: PR

I’d like to suggest name tags be available to be voluntarily worn… [NONE on chain, etc… that could get caught in any machinery/tools]

Perhaps semi-permanent ones for the Board of Directors, Lifetime Members, and general Members interested in having a semi-permanent name tag. We could even have some “Ask Me!” tags created to have on hand for members to wear to allow visitors and new members an easy way to locate someone for help. By semi-permanent, I mean perhaps heavier stock paper, plastic or even regular paper with a clear plastic cover.

Perhaps self adhesive stickers for temporary ones to be worn by visitors and “Ask Me!” tags that allow a space for a handwritten name…

Attached are some examples.

Thanks!
:slight_smile:


NOTE: I am attaching some of the ‘samples’ that I had created at the time I sent the e-mail above; however, some of the ones I’m uploading are being swapped out for others - since members of the Board have mostly all changed since then - except Robert. :wink: :slight_smile:

Again… These were just examples to get the concept across.

The colors were selected at the time for the following reasons:

"ASK ME!" = Blue - because we used to have a photo in the kiosk that said, “QUESTIONS? FIND MEMBERS WITH BLUE FRAME NAMETAGS!” (that I have been told was taped up for an event one time… :slight_smile: )
[center]

[/center]

"VISITOR" = Green - because green is often used to signify newness.

"MEMBER" = Purple - because that was the color that we used on our logo a lot of the time back then.

"BOARD OF DIRECTORS" = Red - because we had started using red on our logo around this that time (give or take a few months… I’ve blinked since then… :wink: )

All that being said, I don’t think the colors matter all that much at this point. It was just my attempt at being creative at the time… hehe…

At this time, like I mentioned above - it would be nice to have sticky tags for both visitors and new members; and, something that says, “Ask Me!” (or some simple variation) for volunteers, in our efforts to better integrate our new members.

Some of the Examples I had created back when I first mentioned doing something like this… :slight_smile:

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Lisa the nametag thing is an adorable idea! We could 3d print or laser cut super cute ones (or plain ones for people who aren’t into cute)! I totally love this idea!

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(Copied as a quote, because the rest of her response was a reply to something else (not shirt related…).

I would like us to have a somewhat standardized name tags so that new members can spot them to match a name to a face. I still do not know who everybody is and seeing the name can only help me remember.

The tag should be two-sided. We can wear one side out when we are busy with something and cannot be interrupted at the moment and the other when we welcome questions and what not.

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Ok, gotta yuck your yum here, sorry, not a name tag fan at all. The “ask me” t-shirts were great AS LONG as the folks wearing them are willing to provide answers.

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I like the idea of Tee-shirts that read “Ask Me” It lets people know you are more than willing to try and help.

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I’m not one for print tees so maybe pins instead?

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So wear a Button. Or a Tee. Or a Hat. Or whatever, I don’t think of DMS as a one size fits all. Just something that identifies yourself as an approachable person.

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I say tattoos on the forehead, including full name, address, phone number and email, or nothing at all! Why go all half baked now? After all, they are new, right?

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I will try to work on badges. Nicole made some really cute ones for her son’s birthday a while back that were like little wings, so I’m going to see how she did that, and I will make something cute (but not pink I promise @AlexRhodes).

I could make buttons this weekend if that would suffice, but I’m awfully partial to something cuter. Any thoughts?

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Alll right! Yea buttons would be awesome, and if you want to reiterate later on, then for sure! I think it just needs to stand out

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I was thinking printing them in red with DMS ASK ME or DMS HELPER on them

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ahh ok for sure! I like DMS HELPER just my opinion, but go for whatever you want

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Huge thank you to @axeonos who kindly offered to 3d print adorable badges instead of my making buttons when she saw my button plan!

So much more makeryness!

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I am the last guy who would want a mandatory name badge.

But tag, shirt or whatever, we should try to agree on a similar design so that new people only need to look for one special design when looking for help.

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Have room for our name?

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Axe is making some cute ones in Halloween colors with DMS ask me on them

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Thanks! :slight_smile:

Cute… Plain… Whatever our volunteers are willing to wear would be awesome! Everyone has different personalities… I think as long as “Ask Me!” (or a similar equivalent) is the most prominent part of the “message” - that it should be OK.

I would like to encourage members who wear the tags/shirts/whatever to include their names, as well as have sticky tags for new members and visitors to wear so we can identify who is new and may need at least some guidance…

However, as much as I would like to see people put their first names on them, I don’t think making it mandatory will work - as I imagine there will be some who refuse to put their names on them.

This is actually really important!

IF you are “Available” - let it be known! On the flip side, if you are NOT available (busy with a project, attending a class, or just not in the mood that day), then please do NOT wear anything that suggests you are willing to answer questions at the moment.

I think it would be awesome!

That’s another great idea!

Yup ~ Exactly! :slight_smile:

I totally appreciate the enthusiasm to just jump right in and start planning what to put on them!

However, with regards to using “DMS” ~ even though the new members / visitors would already be in the building (presumably), I still believe it’s best to avoid using “DMS” - because it may not be as obvious that the shirt/tag/hat/pin is actually being worn as a Dallas Makerspace item (While “DMS” is usually quickly learned; it may not be obvious to someone on their first/early visits). I believe it would be best to either put, “Dallas Makerspace” and/or a simple copy of our logo (the same logo that they see when they enter the front door).

I agree that having something similar would be most helpful (as I mentioned earlier in this response). I think the following would also help…

Thanks again y’all ~ for all of your awesome ideas and suggestions!!! :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

Re: Two Sided Badges: to paraphrase the movie Karate Kid “Badge On, Badge Off”

@dallasmagna Chuck Graf and I also need shirts that just read: “I’m David not Chuck” “I’m Chuck not David”. We get a lot of “referrals” during the day. :slight_smile:

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So because I’m me, I already have 3D printed pins done. They are Halloween themed! I made (and paid for!) 21 of them (really Axe made them for me on the 3D printer, but I totally used the spatula to scoop them and am putting backs on them today).

I think Lisa’s idea is awesome, so maybe it’s something to implement in a week when all of my badges get lost?

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