The best gifts for designers
Creative people always give the best gifts, but what do you give your creative loved ones? These gifts for designers are guaranteed to go down better than a box of dairy milk. From my point of view, it’s an opportunity to drop in some puns and jokes of a calibre normally reserved for pound shop crackers!
#10 In Case of Stress – Bang Head
Price: From £0.70
Even the most war-hardened designer isn’t immune to the stresses of tight deadlines and liquid briefs, but fear not, whilst some might practice yoga in a bid to relax, this snazzy poster takes a blunter approach. Available in all sorts of mediums, this is a great gift that won’t break the bank. Give it to someone in lieu of a chill pill.
Cheaper Alternative:
Do it yourself! Get a little creative and make use of the office printer!
#9 Lorem Ipsum Mug
Price: £13.20
Lorem Ipsum is nonsensical Latin placeholder text. You can use it to give the look of real paragraphs without actually having to use words that mean something. So if you’re seeking a gift for the designer who loves type as much as they love heated beverages, then look no further. I have several of these mugs, but I’m just using them as a placeholder until I get some better ones…
Cheaper Alternative:
Pick up a pack of Lorem Ipsum stickers for a meagre £1.85
#8 Typography Card Game
Price: £various
For the creative who loves non-digital games, there are really only two options, and in the event that they already have Dream Phone, then The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over The Lazy Dog type recognition card game promises to provide hours of fun for the recipient and hours of boredom for their friends. I once arrived late to a wedding; upon entering the chapel, I borrowed a pen so I could write the card. Looking around for something to lean on, I noticed two baptism fixtures that had been moved to the rear of the church for the big event. Looking at my guest, I asked (grinning), “What font should I write this in?” That’s a true story, but if you know someone who would actually find it funny, buy them this gift.
Cheaper Alternative:
If you’re on a budget, you can pick up a scrabble set for pennies from a charity shop, but it’s just not the same.
#7 Type Blocks
Price: £various
Here’s a gift that’s bound to leave an impression upon its recipient. Since the iconic Gutenberg press, type blocks have shaped the history of typographic design. Whether you know someone with a penchant for old school typesetting, or even someone with a fond memory of potato pressing at their old school, then these can be a truly wonderful gift.
Cheaper Alternative:
The price range of type blocks makes them suitable for any budget.
#7 Coffee Subscription
Price: From £15
Designers know all about burning the midnight oil. While most creative will have a well-worn loyalty card for their local java establishment, many more will be settling for Nescafe. If you know someone who fits into the latter category, then why not treat them to a Pact coffee subscription. Starting from £15, Pact will send the lucky recipient a 250g bag of a different international coffee each month, roasted to order and guaranteed to help with the daily grind 😉
Cheaper Alternative:
Commonly regarded as the best coffee in the world, a bag of Blue Mountain Jamaican can be picked up for a few quid!
#5 3D Printed Head
Price: From £79.99
Creativity and narcissism go together like Piers Morgan and smugness. Still, regardless of your recipient’s placement of themselves in relation to the universe, nobody is going to be averse to receiving a 3D print out of their own head. For bonus points, you can even mount it on the body of their favourite action figure from their childhood. G.I Steve? Stretch Neil? The possibilities are limitless, and who doesn’t want to get a head in life?
Cheaper Alternative:
The 3D printed head is a fairly unique gift, but if you’re on a budget, you can pick up all sort of personalised gifts to suit both your favourite narcissist and your budget.
#4 Phone Friendly Gloves
Price: From £3.99
The creative world is a non-stop, cut-throat competitive rollercoaster ride without the overpriced photo, and with the cold winter winds creeping in, keeping up to date whilst outdoors can be a pain in the digits. Most smartphones won’t work with gloves but fear not, as these Tech Touch gloves allow you to operate your touch screen device while keeping your finger all snug and toasty. They’ll glove it!
Cheaper Alternative:
The gloves are very affordable, but if £3.99 is too much, then here are instructions on making your own!
#3 The Wacom Inkling
Price: From £149.99
A great gift for designers. In the age of the tablet computer, the concept of pen and paper is something that is becoming more of a romantic notion than a practical means of designing, but Wacom has come up with the Inkling, a device that amalgamates the old with the new by letting you do your thing on any surface anywhere, before bringing it into your digital workflow later on. The Inkling ain’t cheap, and the reviews are mixed, but if you’re looking for a present and you’re not on a budget, then this may be the coolest present your recipient gets this year. I invented a pen once, it doubled as a bell…it’s patent pen-ding!
#2 Make your own Hologram
Price: From £70.00
Holograms have been around for donkey’s years, but now they’re coming to the home with these handy DIY kits from Litiholo. The great thing about this innovative gadget is that it was crowdfunded on Kickstarter, and now it’s in full swing; you can pick up a starter kit for around £70. The lucky recipient will be able to immortalise an inanimate object to treasure forever!
#1 Pantone Art
Price: From £70.00
People outside of the industry probably won’t understand that the Pantone is actually cool. The ultimate gifts for designers, a selection of the unique range of Pantone colours are available in the form of individually numbered canvases that will suit any creative studio, office or bedroom. They’re not exactly cheap, but if you’ve ever bought a Pantone mug, then you’ll probably know that’s not necessarily a bad thing. If you know a colourful character, then give them a colourful gift this Christmas, its number one in our chart and they’ll probably love it. Beware of giving it to non-designers as they may consider it tantamount to receiving a Deluxe colour chart!
Cheaper Alternative:
If they’re a little pricey for your budget, then check out these other Pantone gifts.
Hopefully, these gifts for designers and creative people will put a few smiles on a few faces, so spread the love.
