Here are 15 gift ideas for the graphic designer in your life. Also check out the 2013 Gifts For Graphic Designers page, as well as my ever growing Pinterest board which currently has 185 cool gadgets, gizmos and design related items.
SoloShot2
: An ingenious product that allows video camera operators to record themselves or others in motion, easily and fluidly. The subject being recorded simply wears a trackable arm-band which allows the camera to track and record all of their movements perfectly. Why didn’t I think of this?!
Structure Sensor: A mobile 3d scanner that attaches to an iPad and works alongside the ItSeez3D app. This device allows for realistic 3d models to be created via scanning of humans, toys or everyday objects. A similar product to consider is the iSense 3D Scanner
.
Desk Feet Hammock
: A great place to put your feet when your dog isn’t around. I don’t have a dog, but my cat would definitely claim this thing. None the less, I could see this being useful during those long stints at the computer (which is about every day for many of us). Similar item can be found here.
Zuta Pocket Printer: Finally, a printer that goes where you go and prints from your phone on any size paper. This has got to be one of the smartest products I’ve seen in a long time. Unfortunately it’s not yet on the market, but this Kickstarter funded product will be demoed for the first time at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show in January.
Moleskin Planner
: Even with handy organization apps like Wunderlist available, some folks still find it easier to write their to-do lists and appointments down in a traditional calendar planner. If you’re looking for an inexpensive gift idea for a graphic designer, you probably can’t go wrong with a good moleskine planner.
Passion Planner: Similar to the item above, yet this weekly based planner is quite unique in that it divides tasks into “personal” and “work”. It contains a variety of sections, including: a calendar, to do list, goal setting guide and journal.
Battery Box: A portable charging device made specifically for laptop computers. Apparently, this battery doesn’t actually “charge” the computer, but instead maintains its power (up to 12 hours for a MacBook Air. Great for anyone who prefers working from a park bench rather than fighting over an outlet at your local coffee shop. Starts shipping Dec. 19th 2014.
Camera Lens Mug
: Most graphic designers also dabble in photography. Here’s an inexpensive gift that’s sure to please. A coffee/tea mug that looks just like a Canon camera lens.
Build Your Own Camera
: This is one of the most original items I’ve come across this year. The Konstructor is a do-it-yourself 35mm camera kit…you basically build a camera from scratch…the same way you’d put together a children’s toy. For the $32 price tag, you can’t expect great picture quality, but that’s not the point. The ability to see how a camera works is the intended appeal.
10′ Power Charging Cable
: Most laptops and tablets seem to come with very short charging cords…these tend to make for some awkward working positions when tethered to a wall outlet. An inexpensive purchase considering the freedom these longer cords provide. Amazon has a variety of these longer charging cables, for a variety of devices.
LimeFuel LP 200X
: I just purchased one of these portable phone and tablet chargers and am liking it so far. Basically it’s just a battery that you juice up at home and bring with you to the park or wherever there isn’t access to a power outlet. Unlike the laptop charger above, this particular product is for usb devices only. And unlike many portable chargers, this one has a light that provides the exact % of power remaining.
Arco DeskBox: A wall shelf that converts into a functioning desk for your laptop, writing or sketching. I love this thing because it takes up far less space than a sit/stand desk, and it looks a hell of a lot better than any other wall based stand I’ve ever seen. Unfortunately it’s extremely overpriced ($1,800). Good I guess if you have money to throw around.
Dot Grid Book: made by the folks at Behance, this spiral bound perforated book of dotted graph paper is a must have for illustrators and logo designers especially. It’s way better than traditional graph paper because the grid is less intrusive (the dots are very subtle so they don’t interfere with your sketches and vision). Also, the paper texture is really nice and the spiral bound pages allow for a good flat surface to work with.
Creoly A5 Dot Grid Mini Book (6″ x 8″)
: Similar in price and function to the Dot Grid Book shown above, though this “mini” book comes with 4x the amount of pages that are much smaller in size. A less expensive option is the Rhodia Dot Grid Pad
. The Rhodia pads aren’t quite as nice in that they’re not spiral bound and they don’t come with a nice cover, but the quality of paper used is quite impressive…and for $6.50, why not?
Tombow Brush Pen
: Tombow offers inexpensive, high quality brush pens that make learning custom lettering and calligraphy a bit easier. I bought the WS-BH 150 (green square on them) brush pens a few months back…in just a couple of days I was able to achieve some pretty decent results with hand lettering. I highly recommend these pens.
Anti Fatigue Mat
: I bought a sit stand work desk last year. My back feels better but my knees and feet hurt. So I bought this mat a couple days ago and it seems to be helping. It’s really soft, looks good, stays put on the floor and comes with a lifetime warrantee. Now I just have to keep my cats from using it as a scratch pad.
Thanks for reading. Shares and comments welcome.
