Wemo wearable memos: ‘handy’ reusable notepads
The ‘Notes’ app on smartphones killed that tradition of writing important stuff down on the back of your hand.
But ask yourself: would you rather look for your phone, find it, unlock it, open the app, wait for it to load, scroll through your random notes til you see the one you need… or just look at your wrist?
Convenience is in – or close to – your hands
Wearable memo pads – Wemo – help you quickly remember things without you putting ink to skin. They’re a genius idea by kenma, a Japanese design studio.
Wemo was mainly designed for medical use. One of the designers watched a nurse taking notes on their palm and thought ‘hey, we can do better than that’. Writing on yourself’s risky – it’s not super hygienic, and it might rub or wash off too early.
After that, kenma recognise it’d be useful to take and keep notes in other situations. Like for emergency first response, disaster area work, and for busy people, or just anyone who gets stressed and/or distracted a lot.
And yeah – it’s easy to see how people taking exams could use Wemo memos too. For studying, you guys, not for sneaking notes into the test. We’re not encouraging cheating here!
They’re simple, reusable, and convenient memos. Anyone who ever lost an important piece of paper will understand their appeal. Keep your friends close and your memos even closer.
From ‘the tip of your tongue’ to your wrist
You might need to scribble down that note any second! Lucky for you, Wemo makes several types of soft silicone memos and plans to make more. They’re designed to take up less space than a notebook, so you won’t feel like you’re carrying extra.
The ‘band’ type – the most common – reminds us of a huge Band-Aid, or one of those trendy 90s wristbands you had to slap onto your arm. They come in a bunch of colours, and weigh almost nothing. Put it on before you start writing, just in case it comes out upside down when the band’s wound around your wrist.
‘Pad type’ (S, M, or L size) sticks to surfaces, like a reusable alternative to Post-Its. That versatility’s won Wemo pads a Japanese stationery award, and got them shortlisted for a ‘good design’ award.
Our fave is the ‘case type’. Write straight onto the back of your smartphone or tablet! Sadly, when we wrote this blog the cases weren’t on sale yet. Those things are gonna change lives.
‘Sticker type’ sounds great for busy people. Stretchy and see-through, each sticker covers enough writing space and lets you still read what’s underneath. They can be stuck into diaries and notebooks, on top of another Wemo, or to a table or wall.
And then, on the Wemo website, there’s a ‘coming soon’ box for… ‘skin type’. Looks like sticker memos you can wear. Maybe for people who’ve gotten too used to writing and drawing straight onto their skin?
Remember to use the right kind of pen
There’s something weirdly satisfying about writing on Wemo memos.
Wemo’s recommended pen is the Zebra Jim Knock 0.7mm with oil-based ink. They’re not the only oil-style ballpoint pens out there, though. Don’t use water-based ink pens, pencils, or (weirdly) the Mitsubishi Jetstream. It’s a great pen by itself, just not compatible with the Wemo’s surface.
Even if you write with an (oil-based!) ballpoint, notes you make on a Wemo can be rubbed off later. Use an eraser, or your finger, to wipe memos you don’t need any more.
On top of that, all Wemo types are totally waterproof. Your memos won’t come off when you wash your hands. Which we’re gonna assume you do… Notes are also kept safe if you go underwater.
The science behind how Wemo works – their ‘pressure sensitive seal transfer technology’ – is patented. So you’re not gonna find anything similar at the 100-yen shop.
We know, and you know – get Wemo
You can buy Wemo wearable memos from many Japanese online shops, including the big ones: Tokyu Hands, Bic Camera, and Yodobashi Camera.
Find them on the DEJAPAN website, or use the item request form to order.
