We’ll be taking a break from the regular inspiring stuff here in YTD to help you plan out Christmas and we are dead serious about that. In lieu of early Christmas planning (most specially for those who are going to be busy on the holidays) we here at YTD compiled some of the best gift ideas (or More-awesome-stuff-to-add-in-your-wishlist) to give out to your creative and hardworking colleagues at work or to your loved ones on these coming holidays.
Today’s post we’ll be listing down awesome novelty items and must haves that will suit their needs from their work areas up to their bags. From mugs, wallpapers up to pens these items will not fail to light up your colleague’s face when they tore open the gift on Christmas day.
1. Moleskine – $9.95 — $19.95
Creative heads loves moleskin so much and who wouldn’t? That acid-free paper is just so nice to write and draw on. This tried and tested (not to mention handy-dandy) notebook has stood through the test of time. Even Henri Matisse and Vicent van Gogh used it for their sketches making the Moleskin a must arsenal for creatives.
(Get it here)
2. Typographic Scrabble Set – $199
Not only it will exercise one’s vocabulary but it will exercise your knowledge about the different typefaces. So the next time your colleagues are having a difficult time substituting Helvetica to another typeface why not play a little bit of scrabble first.
(Get it here)
3. Mugs – $15 — $24.50
Whether you are using it to drink coffee or a space where you can chuck your pens in, mugs are a nice and a practical gift specially if the design of the mug is related to graphic design.
(Get it here)
4. App Pillows – $15
This is a perfect gift for those who are often working the long hours in order to finish a big client job. It can also reduce stress by letting you bear hug the crap out of the pillow when Photoshop crashed for the nth time.
(Get it here)
5. Alvin Draft Matic Mechanical Pencils – $9.00 / Staedtler Lumograph Pencil Set – $23.00
No designer would be caught dead without pencils. Pencils are one of the many arsenals that designers use to create designs. From creating rough sketches to adding inputs and corrections to their work having a pencil is a must.
(Get it here & here)
6. Wi-Fi Detector Shirt – $19.99
Ah the sweet (and sometimes annoying Wi-Fi) that designers who are often on the go needs. Why not show some love to this marvel of technology that makes life simple and wireless as much as possible. This shirt actually detects Wi-Fi signals which makes it perfect for the designer who is always on the go.
(Get it here)
7. Pantone Swatch Book – $179.00
Color accuracy you say? Well Pantone has been providing that solution for decades. This color swatch book is another must have for every designer specially during client presentations in order to avoid vague and sometimes confusing descriptions made by clients. Now you will never have to hear clients say: “I want something blue but not really that blue.”
(Get it here)
8. Henry the Desktop Hoover – $18.14
Food crumbs at your desk means two things, first: you often work a lot in your desk that you resorted to eating at your desk as well and second: Ants. Lots of ants. Good thing there’s Henry, it’s a small vacuum cleaner that fits in your desk which pretty much functions like its bigger cousins and can double as a toy when you are pretty much bored.
(Get it here)
9. Star Wars Stormtrooper MIMOBOT USB Flash Drive – $19.99 — $69.99
Nothing professes one’s love (or fanaticism) to one of the most iconic Sci-Fi flicks that were made during this century than owning one of these lovely flash drives. Just try not to get annoyed with the bad puns like: “May the files be with you” or “Luke I have your folder” once your colleague started using this wonderful flash drive.
(Get it here)
10. Mr. Coffee Mug Warmer – $9.99
Coffee or tea has become an integral part of a graphic artist’s daily diet that drinking a cold cup of coffee or tea has become a taboo (most specially during winter). Luckily there’s a simple solution without resorting to running back and forth to the kitchen in order to reheat that cup.
(Get it here)
11. Staple Free Stapler – $4.99
Yes you read it right. Such a thing like that exists. It is not only a paradox of staplers but it is also eco-friendly and cost efficient since there won’t be a need for staple wires hence the name itself.
(Get it here)
12. Pivot Power Flexible Power Strip -$29.99
Graphic designers are known to be lovers of all things beautiful and functional at the same time and this is where the Pivot Power Flexible Power Strip comes in. It can be twisted around and is gorgeous enough to be an alternative to those boring power strips
(Get it here)
13. Website Stencil Kit – $26.95 | Browser Sketch Pad – $13.95 — $48.80
It is proven that the greatest ideas start off in a scribble or a sketch on paper and what better way to create a revolutionary design than to pour all those wonderful ideas on paper. Made specially for web designers, the Website Stencil Kit and the Browser Sketch Pad is made to fit every web designer’s sketching needs.
(Get it here & here)
14. CyberClean – $6.25
This is no way a part of Slimer or Flubber or any of those green monsters made out of goop. CyberClean is kind of a silly-putty but instead of leaving a undesirable green mess it actually cleans out hard to reach areas such as those in between the keys of your keyboard, speakers and other crevices of electronic devices.
(Get it here)
15. Bessey Utility Knife – $13.88 | Box Cutter from Slice Products – $19.99
Graphic design is not only pure digital work but it also involves a bit of sketching and there will come a time when you have to cut out paper or boards (heck even wood!) when making mock-ups for clients. Exacto knifes are known to get the job done but sometimes it just doesn’t cut that well enough.
(Get it here & here)
What do you guys think? If you have any other awesome novelty items that we can add to this list just drop a share us what it is at the comments below. Check out part 2 and part 3 to see more gift ideas!