Brighten up a web designer's festive season without breaking the bank; here are some excellent but inexpensive gift ideas.
It's not easy being a web designer; one minute you're on top of your responsive web design game and nailing that CSS3 animation, then a whole load of new technologies come along and you have to go straight back to school to keep up with the competition.
So why not show a web designer a bit of love at Yuletide? Here are some delightful gifts that are sure to raise a smile on Christmas morning, all of them priced under £100/$125.
Tense, nervous headache? That's what sitting in front of a screen all day, trying to get your layouts to line up with pixel accuracy, will do to you. Gunnar computer glasses can help with that; their amber lenses filter out the unnatural high frequency blue light from your monitor to protect your eyes, and they also add contrast to define shapes and sharpen detail for easier viewing.
02. Vintage DAB/FM radio
It looks like something from the 1950s but this radio's bang up to date
A bit of background noise is always a welcome addition to any studio, and we reckon the best way to do it is with a real radio; you don't have to mess about with choosing albums or setting up playlists, and of course you can have some great arguments about what station to listen to. This retro radio is just the ticket and comes with 20 preset stations; 10 on DAB and 10 on FM.
03. Lemon Jelly Lost Horizons poster
Each of these limited edition posters is signed by Lemon Jelly's Fred Deakin
The Airside-designed artwork for Lemon Jelly's second album, Lost Horizons, is a lovely thing to look at, and if you know of a wall that would benefit of a high-quality print of it, you're in luck right now. Fred Deakin is organising a 66x125cm reprint on fancy fine art paper, each one numbered and signed; if you want to nab one, get on the case before 3 December.
04. Taster Kit and One Month of Craft Beer
How quickly can you get through a month's worth of beer?
What better way to finish off a hard day wrangling responsive layouts than with a lovely beer? But instead of glugging down a pint of mass-produced lager drink, how about something with a little more class? This delicious gift consists of six craft beers, a tasting glass and tasting guide, followed up by a delivery of 12 more beers. Not sure if that really counts as a month's worth, but cheers!
05. Bike wheel clock
Can't afford a whole bike? Go for this magnificent clock instead
If you're stuck for an idea for a web designer, you can be reasonably sure that they like bikes. Check out our £100+ gift guide if you fancy springing for a whole bicycle; if not, this amazing statement clock is surely the next best thing. Made from a genuine bike wheel with a steel chainset and chrome hub, it's a unique and practical decoration for any wall.
06. Pantone backpack
These nifty backpacks come in a choice of Pantone shades
A decent backpack's guaranteed to make a thoughtful gift for any designer, whether it's for lugging all their kit to a coffee shop for a bit of off-site work, or for packing everything they need for a client meeting. These durable lightweight backpacks will accommodate a 15-inch laptop and much more besides, and they come in a choice of eight on-trend Pantone shades.
07. Personalised memory stick cufflinks
With these cufflinks you'll always have some extra storage to hand
Price: $63/£50
Check out this gift at: Not on the High Street
These rhodium-plated cufflinks look fantastic and can be engraved with up to three initials, and they're useful too; each one contains a little USB stick with 1GB storage; easily enough for that important Powerpoint presentation, with room to spare for a bunch of mock-ups and a test build.
08. Build your own cigar box guitar kit
All music sounds sweeter when it's strummed on a guitar you built yourself
Need a bit of a screen break? Why not strum on a cigar box guitar for a bit; it's a splendid way to relieve stress and it’s sure to delight your co-workers. And it's even better if it's one you made yourself; this kit contains everything you need to build a cigar box guitar with a solid carved poplar neck and maple/mahogany body.
09. Bellroy slim notebook cover
Bellroy's tactile notebook and cover will slip in any pocket
It's always useful for web designers to have a small notebook handy in case you need to sketch up a quick ad hoc prototype, but in truth everybody will love the Bellroy notebook wallet. Made from premium, environmentally certified leather, the Notebook Cover has magnet closure keeps your notes secure, while debossed detailing holds your pen in place when clipped over the spine, and extra storage inside hides a couple of credit or business cards.
10. Street Fighter II hard drive
This retro gaming external drive makes backing up data at least 38 per cent more fun.
Back up your data in style with this fantastically retro external drive, lovingly crafted from an original SNES Street Fighter II cartridge. Inside there's a 500GB hard disk, more than enough to safely store all your important stuff, and its USB 3.0 connection means everything gets transferred nice and quickly. And if you'd prefer another game, custom options are available.
11. Mini beer pong
Raise your beer pong game even further by playing with absinthe
There's nothing like a game of beer pong for a bit of after-work team bonding, but why wait until after work? This gorgeous hand-crafted mini beer pong set can be set up on your desk or in your meeting room, you can get it engraved with your company logo or anything else, and its one-ounce glasses are ideal for upping the stakes by playing with spirits instead of beer.
Note: prices listed are based on exchange rates at time of article publishing and are subject to change.
Jim McCauley is a writer, performer and cat-wrangler who started writing professionally way back in 1995 on PC Format magazine, and has been covering technology-related subjects ever since, whether it's hardware, software or videogames. A chance call in 2005 led to Jim taking charge of Computer Arts' website and developing an interest in the world of graphic design, and eventually led to a move over to the freshly-launched Creative Bloq in 2012. Jim now works as a freelance writer for sites including Creative Bloq, T3 and PetsRadar, specialising in design, technology, wellness and cats, while doing the occasional pantomime and street performance in Bath and designing posters for a local drama group on the side.
