Gifts for Designers 2024
Having spent time in all kinds of design studios and offices around the world, we’ve put together a round-up of some of the best gifts for designers, to make the work of the designer in your life just that little bit more pleasurable.
Whatever your budget and wherever they are in the world, you can always sign them up for a free subscription to DEVELOP3D Magazine.
WIN!
To start off the New Year with a bang, one lucky DEVELOP3D subscriber will win a bundle of items featured on this list. To be in with a chance of winning this prize, make sure you’re subscribed to receive the digital or hard copy versions of DEVELOP3D Magazine, as well as our monthly news mailers, by clicking here. Good luck!
Gifts for Designers – Desirable Desk Kit
1 Mobile Pixels Geminos, £619
Over-under stacked 24″ monitors are a game changer for productivity while avoiding tech-neck – read our review
2 Sonic Kakusta Pencil Case, £31
A a 60° partition in this Japanese design makes for easy pen access on the go, while magnets allow for a stable triangular shaped desk tidy
3 Wingback mechanical pencil, from £150
Designed in London, this brass beauty will last a lifetime and can feature laser engraved limited edition collaborations
4 Timor desk calendar, £126
Enzo Mari’s classic 1960s design will hopefully keep you right for the future
5 Case Trove desk tidy, starts at £14
Made from cork and designed by David Irwin, no matter how many components you add this modular set-up will tidy your desk with a minimalist look
6 Logitech Litra Beam, £80
A next level desktop LED lamp that can be fitted and angled to get the best light on those conference calls
Gifts for Designers – Everyone Has Their Vices
7 Indiana Wheated Bourbon 3 Year Old 2019 Single Cask, £30
Booze purveyors of choice, Master of Malt, have a bargain gem of a bottle for fans of the brown liquor
8 Casio CT-S1-76 Keyboard, £349
If music is the one thing they can’t live without, how about a portable keyboard that can be played anytime, anywhere, then stashed for space saving?
9 Aromatherapy Associates Deep Relax Bath & Shower Oil, £58
Instant relaxation away from the design studio, helping them slide into slumber however hectic the deadlines
10 Salcombe ‘Island Street’ Rum, £35
This transatlantic spiced gold rum will take their tastebuds somewhere tropical, with hints of soft brown sugar, coconut and pecan
11, Pinter!, from £90
The brilliant bit of easy homebrew design is now on its third generation and available in the USA! Slots into the fridge to chill a huge range of beer or cider recipes before drinking
12 Tony’s Chocolonely Personalised Bars, from £6
Use the festive templates or go completely custom with your wrappers for these amazingly tasty chocolate bars
Gifts for Designers – Long-hours Luxury
13 Ratta Supernote Nomad, from £320
Its A6-size E-ink display has many charms to offer those who rely on sketching and note taking – read our review
14 Lexip PU94, £90
A mouse specifically designed for single-handed use in 3D environments – with an internal joystick, thumb joystick and slick ceramic pads
15 XenceLabs Pen Display 16, £1,199
With its detailed display and desktop practicality, the svelte and portable Pen Display 16 is a welcome addition to anyone’s workflow – read our review
16 3DConnexion Keyboard Pro with Numpad, £85
Created with designers and engineers in mind, this excellent ergonomic option allows them to customise their desk for the long term
17 Deltahub Carpio 2.0, from £30
This wrist-support glides across a desk mat, letting you move your entire arm and reducing damaging rotational movements that lead to carpal tunnel
18 AlphaTheta Omnis Duo, £1,369
Eschew heading out for after-work drinks this year, and bring the party to the office instead! Read about its design here.
Gifts for Designers – Workshop Wonders
19 WE1010 Solder Station, Weller, £199
Electronics prototyping in-house? Avoid temperature spikes with this solder iron
20 Digital External Micrometers, Oxford, £60
Make sure they have all measurements covered – right down to the tiniest parts. Imperial measurements available for heathens.
21 Engineer Screw Pliers, £18
Multi-purpose pliers with a twist – jaws shaped to grab and turn those screws that can’t/won’t be budged
22 Bahco Side Cutters, £39
Help them clean-up those 3D prints faster with these ergonomic and super sharp Swedish cutters
23 A2 Cutting Matt from 4D Modelshop, £19.50
An absolute must-have for desktop prototyping
24 Headband Magnifier with LED Light, from 4D Modelshop £28
Get them closer to the details with this headset that offers five different magnifying lenses
Gifts for Designers – First Class Travel
25 Yeti 20 oz Cocktail Shaker, £60
Mix-up a storm with a robust shaker – even when on the go
26 Floyd Travel Pouch, £35
Nobody is going to accidentally leave this ‘Hollywood Pink’ beauty in a bin at security
27 Jabra Evolve2 65 Flex,£195
Block out the background with outstanding noise cancellation and drop into that Teams call with this headset from Jabra that also plays your music like a dream
28 Arket 72-hour Duffle, £159
Super lightweight recycled material makes this a carry-on bag they can’t live without
29 3D Connexion Space Mouse Compact, £126
Using CAD anywhere is great, but this 3D mouse makes it a breeze
30 Datacolor ColorReader Pro, £199
Give their CMF inspiration a boost with this digital colour sampler that displays the colour measurement right on the reader
Gifts for Designers – Reading Matters
[Order from your local highstreet bookshop]
31 Everlasting Plastics, £25
Looks at humanity’s relationship to plastics and their effect on cultures and behaviours, as well as their impact on the built environment
32 Design for Impact: Your Guide to Designing Effective Product Experiments, £33
After concluding that design decisions should not be based on opinion, author Erin Weigel offers a system of human-centred problem solving, scientific methods and business
33 Designed for Life: The World’s Best Product Designers, £50
100 of ‘the best’ product designers as chosen by those reliable sources: design critics, museum curators, entrepreneurs and journalists
34 Endineering, £16
Joe Macleod sets about challenging our notions of good design with an excellent book on sustainability and ecological principals
35 Design, Lead, Succeed, £20
Former Speedo designer turned design innovation consultant, Chris Johnson pens this excellent guide to help talented designers transition to leading excellent teams
36 Humanise A Maker’s Guide to Building Our World, £13
Toss some money into the wheelbarrow of Thomas Heatherwick again this year…
Or alternatively, donate the amount to a small charity where the money would be hugely appreciated and make a difference
All gift guide information correct at time of first publication
