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Graphic Design Gift Ideas For Your Office
In honour of the season, I posted a question to various graphic design groups on Facebook and LinkedIn. In it, I asked “Other than a new computer or software, If you could ask for one thing this season to improve or enhance your graphic design office what would you want?”
I received some great answers to my question, and in today’s episode of Resourceful Designer I’m going to share them with you.
In no particular order, here are the Graphic Design Gift Ideas I received.
[easyazon_link keywords=”Wacom Cintiq” locale=”US” tag=”resourcefuldesigner-20″]Wacom Cintiq[/easyazon_link].
This was the most submitted graphic design gift idea I received. Not just the Wacom Cintiq but Wacom tables in general. It seams that many graphic designers are itching get their hands on one of these this holiday season.
[easyazon_link keywords=”White Boards” locale=”US” tag=”resourcefuldesigner-20″]White Boards[/easyazon_link] / [easyazon_link keywords=”Cork Boards” locale=”US” tag=”resourcefuldesigner-20″]Cork Boards[/easyazon_link]
Another popular graphic design gift idea was white boards and cork boards. These are staples in many design studios. White boards are great for quickly working out problems, writing down reminders, or just recording important notes. Similarly, cork boards are a great way to organize notes, bills, photos and inspirational items.
[easyazon_link keywords=”Graphic Design Books” locale=”US” tag=”resourcefuldesigner-20″]Graphic Design Books[/easyazon_link]
You can’t go wrong giving a graphic designer a book about design. It’s like a badge of honour to show off your collection whenever another designer pays your studio a visit. A few books that are on my list are…
- [easyazon_link identifier=”0761169253″ locale=”US” tag=”resourcefuldesigner-20″ cart=”y”]Steal Like An Artist[/easyazon_link]
- [easyazon_link identifier=”0321918681″ locale=”US” tag=”resourcefuldesigner-20″ cart=”y”]Burn Your Portfolio[/easyazon_link]
- [easyazon_link identifier=”1452125589″ locale=”US” tag=”resourcefuldesigner-20″ cart=”y”]Hand-Lettering Ledger[/easyazon_link]
- [easyazon_link identifier=”0321844270″ locale=”US” tag=”resourcefuldesigner-20″ cart=”y”]Work For Money, Design For Love[/easyazon_link]
Organizers
It seams most graphic designers are more organized than I am. Or at least they aspire to be. That’s probably why office organizers were a very popular answer to my graphic designer gift idea question. Most notably shelves and drawers. I myself really like the [easyazon_link keywords=”Ladder Style Book Shelves” locale=”US” tag=”resourcefuldesigner-20″]Ladder Style Book Shelves[/easyazon_link] and the [easyazon_link identifier=”B006WYUQ8Y” locale=”US” tag=”resourcefuldesigner-20″ cart=”n”]Winsome Halifax 7 drawer cabinet.[/easyazon_link]
Ergonomic Chair
Every graphic designer needs a good chair. And from the answers I received a few are looking to upgrade theres. I’m kind of partial to the [easyazon_link identifier=”B011HYQ4KC” locale=”US” tag=”resourcefuldesigner-20″ cart=”n”]Viva Office, High Back Bonded Leather Office Chair[/easyazon_link] although I wouldn’t turn down a [easyazon_link keywords=”Herman Miller chair” locale=”US” tag=”resourcefuldesigner-20″]Herman Miller chair[/easyazon_link] if it was offered to me.
Standing Desk
Standing desks are a great way to relieve the pressure on your back while still working. [easyazon_link keywords=”Varidesk” locale=”US” tag=”resourcefuldesigner-20″]Varidesk[/easyazon_link] have some great options to choose from. If you’re on a tighter budget you can always opt for an [easyazon_link keywords=”3m sit/stand easy adjust keyboard” locale=”US” tag=”resourcefuldesigner-20″]sit/stand adjustable keyboard tray[/easyazon_link] that allows you to use it standing up.
Heater / Fan
I never would have thought of these but they are graphic designer gift idea. If your office is in the basement or a cool place a [easyazon_link keywords=”heater” locale=”US” tag=”resourcefuldesigner-20″]heater[/easyazon_link] would be a big help. And in those hot summer months a [easyazon_link keywords=”fan” locale=”US” tag=”resourcefuldesigner-20″]fan[/easyazon_link] in the corner could help ease your day.
Studio Photography Lighting
For the photographers amongst us, good lighting is a huge help. There are many [easyazon_link keywords=”photography lighting” locale=”US” tag=”resourcefuldesigner-20″]affordable lighting options[/easyazon_link] that will allow you to take great photos.
Learning Courses
Some say there’s nothing better than the gift of knowledge. If you are one of them you may be interested in what Lynda.com has to offer. Thousands of great courses with many of them geared to the graphic design industry. If you use this link you can Try Lynda.com For Free For 10 Days.
Drafting Table / Light Pad
These are two items that bring back fond memories of when I first started off as a graphic designer. I started by doing pasteup and used [easyazon_link keywords=”light pads” locale=”US” tag=”resourcefuldesigner-20″]light pads[/easyazon_link] and [easyazon_link keywords=”drafting tables” locale=”US” tag=”resourcefuldesigner-20″]drafting tables[/easyazon_link] on a daily basis. Not as popular as they once were but some designers still have uses for them.
Pantone Color Guide
This one’s a must. If you don’t already have a [easyazon_link keywords=”Pantone Colour Guide” locale=”US” tag=”resourcefuldesigner-20″]Pantone Color Guide[/easyazon_link] it should be at the top of your graphic designer gift idea list. They are pricy but they make our jobs so much easier.
Other items mentioned
- Better office lighting
- Second monitor
- Apple Pencil
- Advance Keyboard
- Electronic Cutting Plotter
- New Camera
- 3D Printer
- Digital Laser Cutter
- Plants
- Action Figures
- Inspirational Posters
Honourable Mentions
- An Assistant to help with the work burden
- A door to keep the kids out of the studio.
What would I want for myself?
- More action figures and knick knacks to show off the geek that I am
- More Swords to add to my collection
- More practically, a second monitor and a new chair.
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Running a graphic design or web design business all by yourself isn’t easy. If there are any struggles you face running your design business please reach out to me. I’ll do my best to help you by addressing your issues in a future blog post or podcast episode here at Resourceful Designer. You can reach me at feedback@resourcefuldesigner.com
