Finding the perfect gift for a designer or developer friend is a h̶a̶r̶d̶ impossible job so I asked a few of them for their perfect gift ideas. I got some great recommendations, some of which were affordable and realistic and others were amazing but super expensive. (For some money might not be a concern so I have included those as well.)
Paper Trophy
These are paper animals designs that you have to assemble, so if your mates love crafts and such these might be a thoughtful gift. I think it's a bit pricey for what it is but boy do they look amazing.
Moleskine Notebooks
Moleskine Notebooks are like an obligatory item in this list, it's as if no designer gift list is complete without adding these in there. It would make a great gift for designers who would like to sketch on the go. Along with the traditional notebooks, they also offer smart notebooks that can transfer your pen-and-ink scribbles to your digital device. An alternate option is a notebook from Fields Notes.
CSS Puns
This is my side project, it is a bunch of CSS puns each with its own T-shirts, mugs, phone cases and posters. There might be something special in there for your mates.
Leaf Ties
Cables running all over the place? This will be a welcome gift for them, it's nothing fancy but a prettier version of the cable tie to the cable spaghetti problem.
Dev Stickers
Laptop stickers are the tech equivalent of prison tattoos. Putting stickers on laptops are a way of showing off a part of our personality to the world. In a lot of cases, SAAS businesses will send em to you when you or hand em out in conferences but if you want to buy some there is a place for that.
Subscription to Design Magazines
There are some great design magazines out there and perhaps a subscription to one of those for a few months might be a very useful gift for them? Here are a few for your consideration: Eye, Harvard Design Magazine, IDEA Mag, etc
Pantone Postcards
If your friend is the kind of person who is still into snail mail and sending out postcards then this might be just what they wanted for Christmas. A box of Pantone Post Cards.
Popup Lighting
These come in the cheaper cardboard or the more expensive plastic or the most expensive aluminium cut and offer a few different choices like the deer head, owl, peacock or cacti. They are certainly a conversation starter in any room and perhaps will be worth the money for that special friend.
Hopefully, I have given you all a few gift ideas or inspirations. Drop a comment below and let me know what was the best design/development related gift you ever received.
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