The holidays are quickly approaching, which means it's almost time for the annual awkward tradition of giving and getting gifts. Whether you're shopping for a designer or you are a designer working on your wish list, these fifteen gadgets and gifts are so awesome that you won't want anything else.
Chopsticks, pens, gloves, these all sound like every day boring items but wait until you see the amazing high tech versions we found!
Cintiq 12WX Pen Display
Let's start this list out right by being honest about what designers really want: a multitouch drawing tablet. Wacom has a whole line of these bad boys with prices ranging all the way up to $2,600, but why not be a little more conservative and go for the small but beautiful 12WX? You'll never work with Photoshop the same way again.
Inkling
Though roughly 1/5th of the price of the previous gadget, this one is arguably even cooler! In fact, the Inkling is definitely at the top of my personal wish list. Instead of relying on a touchscreen tablet, the Inkling lets you sketch the way you're used to sketching: on paper. The images are recorded and transferred to digital files compatible with Illustrator, Photoshop, etc. You even have complete layer control while you sketch! This is one seriously awesome gadget and $200 isn't a half bad price point.
Dry Erase Whiteboard Paint
Who needs fancy high tech drawing solutions when you can just draw on your wall! You've seen chalkboard paint but this goes one step better by creating an easily erasable whiteboard surface. Skip the chalk dust and turn your entire office into a blank canvas for ideas, todo lists, mockups and more.
Messograf Caliper Pen
Looking for a cool gift under $5? This pen doubles as a functioning caliper! Designers and artist will go far beyond simply recording measurements and find this to be an immensely helpful tool for getting proportions just right in a sketch. At the very lest, they'll think it looks cooler than any other pen they already own.
Website Stencil Kit
The website stencil kit is an awesome little tool that makes UI wireframing a breeze. Lots of web designers like to hash out their ideas on paper first and this speeds along the process by helping you quickly create tabs, icons, sliders and other standard UI elements.
Walls Notebook
This gift is super quirky and super awesome. It's a book of photos containing walls in New York City that provide a blank canvas for some grunge-filled graffiti inspired creativity. This is perfect for getting your brain into a creative mode for outside the box thinking.
The iPhone SLR Mount
This one is crazy, but in a super awesome kind of way. Your iPhone already takes great pictures, but what if you could transform it into a multitouch SLR? With this unbelievable but very real product, you can do just that. It's basically a Canon or Nikon lens mount attached to an iPhone case. You'll love taking Instagram photos at f/2.8!
Bamboo Stylus
Most of the items on this list are products that I would love to own, with two exceptions: this and the Colca Sac below. Both of these are already owned and adored by yours truly.
I'm a complete Paper.app addict and have tried lots of iPad styluses. This market is full of crap, don't waste your money on anything but the Bamboo. The rubber tip beats the heck out of the foam mess you get from Pogo and is far superior than the cheaper rubber alternatives. If you're serious about iPad drawing, get a Bamboo and call it a day.
Virtual Keyboard
Will this thing really work? I honestly have no idea, but who wouldn't want to give it a shot? Pull this sucker out at the coffee shop and you're bound to stir up some envious looks.
Grid-It Organizer
If you want to go for utility over fashion, the Cocoon Grid-It is an awesome laptop sleeve that is ingeniously constructed to hold all of your small gadgets, chargers and various other items. I can definitely see myself putting this to good use on photo shoots.
What's On Your List?
Now that you've seen our collection of fifteen gadgets and gifts for designers, leave a comment below and tell us which is your favorite!
Also, if you see any other cool gadgets online that designers might enjoy, toss a link and brief description into your comment so we can check it out!