Well, it’s that time of year again. Time to sit back and figure out what gifts to give your fellow architect, designer, or overall creative person (or maybe even gift yourself!) for the holidays. I’ve scoured through Amazon to find what I think are the best gifts for designers and placed them all here for your convenience!
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I only recommend products or services that I have purchased or used myself, or will buy myself and highly recommend.
For the Techie
LCD Tablet
Wow, just wow! I’ve always wanted my own personal light box and with this gift I could have it! Gone are the days of tracing only aspects of your project on trace paper, or even trying to use light from a window! This Tracer pad is so slim and the perfect size to use for anything!
3D Printer
I stumbled upon this beast and immediately geeked out! Not only could you have a lot of fun with this, but obviously it can come in handy with any 3D representations you might need to provide.
Wireless Headphones
Citizens Black Watch
A simple, clean design, black watch. What more could you ask for?! Citizen’s watches have always carried a great name for dependability and style and this watch shows just that. Also comes in Men’s!
For the Coffee Lover
French Press
I mean come on! Such style! Such sleek design! Matte black! And it makes coffee! Talk about the whole package! This honestly has Architect written all over it.
Black Rifle Coffee K-Pods
So I’ll admit I’m somewhat of a coffee snob. Last year I actually received a variety pack of Black Rifle Coffee Company’s coffees and the SS was my favorite. A smooth, rich blend that packs a punch! They make plenty of other brews so check them out! Plus BRCC is veteran owned and the company does great things to support our troops.
Architect Coffee Mug
Ok, so this one is obviously just for the architects, but I had to put it on the list! There are a lot of “funny” architect mugs out there, but this one is by far my favorite. It always makes me laugh cause it’s so true! Anybody who has been in the field long enough can attest to this designer price schedule!
For the Reader
Book Embosser
I think it’s safe to say most architects love books. Shoot, most just love collecting them! This is another item that I would love to have for my personal library so it easily made the list this year. And having it personalized is great!
Lean In – By Sheryl Sandberg
A great read for the Boss Lady in your life. Sheryl’s writing will amp up any woman’s confidence in the workplace. She evens writes about certain steps women can do to combine their professional achievements with personal fulfillment.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
Yep, you have a Potter-head over here! J.K. Rowling’s books are great for readers of all ages, young and old! It seems like everyone, at some point in their life, becomes enthused with the Harry Potter series. Will be a great gift to complete one’s Harry Potter collection!
Photographic Rendering with Vray for SketchUp
If you liked my post about How to Create Realistic Architectural Renderings for your presentations, you’ll love this book! It will give you more step by step instructions that will teach you how to use the most important tools in both programs. And it really helps in teaching you the lighting techniques in Vray that can make or break your renders!
For the Student/Architect In Training
ARE 5.0 Exam Prep
Again, yes, this is just for the Architects in the world. And, I know, I just put study materials on a gift list. Call me practical, but if someone had given me the set of books and other materials that I needed to start my exams as a gift, so much stress would have been lifted. Plus, nothing would be stopping me from signing up! So help your Architect in Training and give them the support needed to strive for the next chapter in their career!
Aluminum Scale
The perfect (and always missing) architectural scale. I’ve probably owned, and lost, about 10 scales so far. But this one is so cool, I’d probably make sure to keep up with it! Plus, being that it’s not the classic white, you’ll know right away if someone in studio accidentally stole it!
Steel Toe Work Boots
Here’s something they don’t tell you about in architectural school. You will need a decent pair of work boots for site visits! As a woman, there is nothing more frustrating than being turned away from the job site because you are not wearing the appropriate job site attire. But with these bad boys (with steel toes) you shouldn’t have any problem. Plus, nothing is more eye catching than that Dr. Marten gold stitching!
So there you have it! A quick snap shot of some great ideas to get that special architect in you life! Happy shopping!
