Gift-giving season is here, and with it comes the challenge of picking out the perfect gift for those special people in your life. Perhaps one of the most difficult demographics to shop for are designers because of their notorious pickiness.
To help, we’ve compiled a great list of gift ideas for the creative in your life here in our Designer Gift Guide 2016!
Foot Rest Hammock
Designers tend to sit at a desk for hours every day, which can cause some restlessness. The Foot Rest Hammock from Gadget Shopping solves this issue by suspending a miniature hammock underneath desks. Just like a hammock relaxes one’s body, this desk accessory will allow designers to stretch out and relieve the cramps that accompany long periods of sitting.
Browser Sketch Pad
A functional gift that web designers will appreciate, this browser sketch pad allows for visualizing what the screen will look like – with no programming required. Like an outline for a writer, the browser sketch pad gives designers the ability to play with placement and concepts manually.
Osborne Laptop Sleeve
A laptop sleeve or bag is a must for all laptop owners, but it’s not necessary to sacrifice style for functionality! This padded sleeve fits both 13″ and 15″ laptops, and looks sleek and modern – all while protecting designers’ most treasured resource. With protection and aesthetics taken care of, you’ll have time to start beefing up your laptop sticker collection.
Eton BoostTurbine 2000
A genius innovation on the recently popular portable charging pack, this power bank includes a hand crank feature, allowing for power even when the battery itself is dead. This power adapter is perfect for the designer in your life who always seems to be on the go – allowing them hours of extra power on their mobile device whether there is a power source present or not!
Lifta Wooden Computer Stand
Environment is so important to productivity – a distracting, dirty, or unaesthetic workspace can hinder productivity and creativity. It is therefore important to spruce up your desk with the opposite – pieces both pleasing to the eye and functional for workflow. Enter: the wooden computer stand. It’s both functional and visually appealing, making this slim, wood grain stand the perfect gift for designers.
The Jules with Low Light Plants
Everyone has taken the life of a poor, unsuspecting plant at one time or another, so why not take a lot of the uncertainty out of the equation, and give someone the gift of a hard-to-kill plant in a beautiful planter. These plants survive in low-light situations, and only require watering approximately once a week, making it the perfect lil’ desk accessory for any designer’s workspace.
Stranger Things Phone Case
The hit Netflix series of 2016 has branched into merchandising, and this “Stranger Things” phone case is perfect for the binge-watcher in your creative family. Sized for the Galaxy 4 and 5, as well as the iPhones 5 through 6s Plus, this one-piece case snaps on simply and quickly for slim, stylish protection.
Pixel Eyewear
Designers spend a lot of time staring at screens, and it’s no secret that the blue light emitted by computer monitors can do some serious long-term damage to their eyes. Pixel Eyewear has solved this issue by creating a pair of spectacles that filter out this harmful light and allow for a softer impact. Not only are they useful, these glasses are made with a fetching tortoiseshell finish, and would fit in quite well at any 1940’s English pub or on a current hipster’s face.
Fidget Cube
Have a designer friend or family member? Chances are they spend most of the day in one place, which can lead to an enormous reservoir of pent up energy. The Fidget Cube aims to solve just that issue. Instead of constant leg bouncing, foot tapping, or pencil chewing, the Fidget Cube provides its owner with six surfaces of switches, dials, and other gadgetry. By having a designated fidget item, it becomes easier to focus on work – making this a stellar gift for the designer in your life.
3Doodler Pro
Last year in our Designer Gift Guide, we wrote about the 3Doodler. Well, they’re back with the version 2.0! The 3Doodler Pro allows designers to add a dimension to their two-dimensional concepts. This fun (and useful) tool can help designers further flush out their ideas – and is also just a fun gadget with which to play!
IdeaPaint Dry Erase Paint
Have a lot of notes, or like to plan your projects visually? This special paint can turn an entire wall in your workspace into a dry erase board. Not only practical, dry erase paint can become a whimsical accent wall in an otherwise normal room.
Aesthetic Content Aurora Oversized Decanter Bottle
If “Mad Men” taught us anything, it’s that it is more than alright to keep alcohol in the office, and this ceramic decanter is the perfect vessel in which to do so. Made of artisan-crafter ceramic with an eco-friendly cork stopper, this is the perfect gift as a functional, decorative piece for the office or home!
Water Garden 2.0
It may look like just a betta fish bowl, but really it’s so much more. This bowl is a closed-loop ecosystem – the betta fish fertilizes the plants above, and the plants continuously clean the water in the bowl. A great desktop companion for long hours, and a splash of green in an otherwise tech-heavy workspace, the water garden can provide some life and a splash of color.
Brookstone Pocket Projector Micro
This pocket-sized, HDMI-connected projector is a great gizmo for techies to have on the go. Able to project sharp images up to 60” diagonally, and with built-in speakers, this tiny projector carries a lot of the same functionalities as its larger brethren in a tiny body.
360 Degree Water Jug
A functional water jug, but so much more. Sold by the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), this jug is based off many pieces of glassware that have been featured in the museum itself. In addition to its inherent artistry, the jug features a 360-degree lid that opens automatically and serves as a strainer for ice cubes or any embellishments you may add.
American Design Club Brass Coasters
Nobody likes water rings, and the best way to avoid that is coasters. But your coasters don’t have to be boring, cork numbers. These brass coasters with cork backing serve their purpose, and are easy on the eyes. Plus they’re considerably more solid than the average coaster, making them a magical, long-lasting product.
The Watertree Co. Small Teardrop Shelf
It’s important to like where you work, and adding this beautiful floating teardrop shelf to any workspace is sure to be a step in the right direction. It is the perfect place to keep plants (perhaps a low-light plant from above?), knick-knacks, or any books that you might need to have near you! Its unassuming profile on the wall is a perfect fit for the minimalist aesthetic, but it could also be a standout piece in any room.
Sloane Stationary Big Ideas Notebook
Every designer needs a place to write down their ideas as they come. For something so necessary, you should spare no expense in gifting them this notebook handmade by traditionally trained craftsman. With beautiful cream pages and gilt edges, this type of brainstorming luxury will spoil any recipient.
“Mugintosh” Ceramic Mug
Coffee is the lifeblood of the world, and designers are no different. So why not provide a quirky, appropriate vessel to carry the coffee from pot to mouth? The “Mugintosh” computer mug is a desktop computer-shaped mug that will look fantastic next to your actual computer, and will provide you that sweet, caffeinated nectar.
Sock of the Month Club
Socks may have been a huge letdown as a kid, but as an adult, socks are one of the best gifts ever! Especially crazy comfortable, crazy cool socks delivered to your door once a month for a year. As a previous recipient of this gift (and now, an owner of 12 pairs of cool socks) I highly recommend this gift. It literally keeps on giving (for a year)!
Nimbus Smart Dashboard
Imagine a clock that told you so much more than the time. Now click the link above. There it is! The Nimbus is a smart clock that tells you everything from the time to the traffic conditions to your social media engagements. Insanely customizable, the four clock faces are controlled via a mobile application, and can be changed to whatever best suits you.
Foldio2
A great gift for creatives, this portable photo studio is perfect for those who have photography in their lives, but not enough to invest in a complete photo studio. Fully functional, just on a smaller scale, this gift will grant greater creative freedom for photographers and designers.
Moment Tele Lens
Though cameras on mobile phones have greatly improved in past years, they still find themselves inferior to actual digital cameras. That gap is narrowed with this telephoto lens by Moment. Fantastic for taking higher resolution images at greater distances, this is a perfect gift for most creatives.
Stone Drink Dispenser
This creative drink dispenser allows you to tap your favorite drinks in an aesthetically pleasing fashion. Made of cobbled granite, it looks great on your bar and provides alcohol – what more could you ask?
AUKEY Dual USB Solar Charger with SunPower Panels
This solar charger is designed to charge a variety of mobile devices on the go without requiring a power source. Weather-resistant, foldable, and incredibly portable, this device is perfect for the designer on the go who needs to stay connected and can’t always rely on power availability.
Death Wish Ground Coffee
Branded the world’s strongest coffee, Death Wish is an ultra-caffeinated (but still delicious) coffee that is a perfect get-up-and-go morning drink, or a great “I have 12 hours to meet this deadline” cup of joe!
Pantone iPhone Cases
These iPhone cases come in different Pantone colors, allowing you to choose the perfect chip for your gift. It provides phone protection in a colorful and pleasing way! Bonus points if you match the Pantone color to your designer friend’s logo.
Designers, what gifts have caught your eye this holiday season? We’d love to hear them! Comment below.
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