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Designer Gift Guide 2015

Morgan Smith's Layout avatar

The holiday season is upon us, which means it’s time to find the perfect gifts for your friends. And we all know sometimes shopping for designers can be difficult; you have to find gifts that fit with their aesthetic, use typefaces they enjoy, and just generally are well-designed.

To help you find the perfect gift for designers this season, we’ve listed 25 of our favorites here in the Designer Gift Guide 2015.

Stockton Messenger / Satchel Bag – $54.52

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Any typography fan is sure to love this Stockton Messenger Bag. The subtle pattern adds the perfect touch to an otherwise simple and professional-looking messenger. Plus, you can choose from four different colors to match whatever color scheme your designer likes best!

Neo Smartpen N2 – $169

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The Neo Smartpen N2 is a powerful tool for any designer who loves to sketch. This pen will transfer notes, illustrations, or anything else they create to the Neo Notes app to be accessed digitally.

Viddy – $41.58

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This clever little gift is a DIY pinhole camera kit that any creative will fall in love with. Plus, once you build it, Viddy actually works as a camera. It’s the perfect interactive gift to give this holiday sesason.

Drink Rocks – $35

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For the designer who loves a cold glass of whiskey (or any other cold beverage), these artsy drink rocks are the perfect centerpiece to any glassware. Not only will they keep any drink cold, but they’re sure to be conversation starters, too.

Tablet Platform – $32.50

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If your designer friend loves working with tablets, this platform is a beautiful stand to place it on. It displays your tablet at an optimal angle and is certain to make a gorgeous addition to any desk.

Tipsy Topsy – $35

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These little weights can be used for so much more than just holding down stacks of paper. The design makes them impossible to knock over, AKA they’re a joy to fidget with when you’re waiting for inspiration to strike.

U-Lock Holster – $34

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If you’re shopping for a designer that enjoys bike riding, this classy u-lock holster is a must. Help them keep everything organized on their commute and free up some space in their bag for more important things, like sketchbooks and pens.

Pantone Color of the Year 2016 Mug – $25

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Help your designer stay on top of the current trends with this Pantone Color of the Year mug. It features both colors (Rose Quartz and Serenity) to creative a peaceful and calming coffee experience.

Colour O/Clock – $27.34

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For designers that love minimal design, this clock is the perfect gift. As the day goes on, the colored circle will slowly change with the time. It’s simple, full of white space (literally), and a playful addition to any designer’s wall.

Cube – $179.95

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Cube is a powerful tool for color recognition. It’s a portable color digitizer, so it can capture any color on any surface and then return the RGB, HEX, CMYK, LAB, and LRV values. Any designer obsessed with color will love being able to discover these values for physical objects.

Disruptus – $24.99

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Disruptus is a card game for those with an entrepreneurial spirit. It encourages “disruptive thinking” and will keep even the most creative designers on their toes.

So You Need A Typeface Print – $22

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This clever infographic will help designers discover the perfect typeface for any project, or at the very least, makes for a fun print to hang on the wall. Any typography fan will be ecstatic to own this piece of art.

3Doodler – $99

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The 3Doodler is a pen that draws in 3D material. This means that instead of sketching in 2D on a piece of paper, designers can instantly take their ideas into the third dimension and doodle up some 3D designs.

Happy Food Notebooks – $8

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Who doesn’t love food, right? And these cute little notebooks embrace some of the foods we love most of all. It’s a well-known fact that designers love notebooks, so you can’t go wrong with these delightful gifts.

Pencil Holder – $75

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For designers who carry around lots of drawing utensils, a stylish case is a must-have. And this leather pencil holder certainly qualifies – it’s simple, functional, and you can pick between three colors of leather.

Conceal Floating Bookshelf – $22

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Make your books look like they’re floating in mid-air with this nifty shelf. Any designer with a passion for reading will love this sneaky storage technique, plus it’s a great way to show off some well-designed books!

Shelter + Prospect Village Desk Accessories Oiled Walnut – $50

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Pencil holders don’t have to be boring. In fact, with this clever set of four building blocks, they can be quite fun! Your designer friends can move them around to create the perfect home for their writing utensils, or just to play with while they’re waiting for some design inspiration to hit.

Pantone: The 20th Century in Color – $40

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This beautiful book by Leatrice Eiseman and Keith Recker is a visual journey through the colors of the 20th century. Any designer would be thrilled to add this book to their collection.

Fantastic Cities – $14.95

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Help your designer friend let loose with this detailed coloring book of cities. With 60 pages to color, it’s sure to last a long time. Plus, who doesn’t like to color?

Himalayan Salt Lamp – $34

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These unique lamps will make a gorgeous addition to any designer’s desk. They’re crafted from 100% natural salt and radiate a beautiful color.

Helvetica Forever – $49.00

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Every designer knows Helvetica, but they may not know the full history of it. This book traces the history of Helvetica for the 50 years after it was designed in 1957. Another must-have for any designer’s collection!

Faded Diamond Socks – $12

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Socks may seem cliché, but an artsy pair like these are sure to make any designer happy. They’re practical, comfortable, and stylish. You can’t go wrong.

The Alpha Classic Blanket in Norse – $149

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Another gift that can’t go wrong: A warm fuzzy blanket. Designers will love the abstract pattern both when it’s wrapped around themselves or laid over the couch as an accent piece.

Lindsey Hampton Dipped Tumblers – $39

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These colorful tumblers are awesome pieces for any designer to add to their collection. Their size is perfect for using as a mug, small planter, or even as desktop storage.

2016 Travel the World Calendar – $16.00

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For the designer with a case of wanderlust, this worldly calendar will make the perfect addition to their desk. Each month celebrates a different city around the world with delightful illustrations.

Looking for some discounts? Check out Flywheel’s Creative Toolbox to give your designer friends deals on software, themes, plugins, and more!

Have any other gift suggestions? We’d love to hear more in the comments!

Comments ( 1 )

  1. Ashley Gainer

    January 2, 2016

    This is the best gift guide I've seen all year!!

    • Morgan Smith

      January 4, 2016

      Thanks Ashley! It was a lot of fun to put together :)

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