Gift Guide: 7 Gift Ideas for the UX Designer In Your Life
Glittering lights, cheerful music and the welcoming warmth of mulled wine, and roasted chestnuts. It’s that time of year again. As we slip into December we are greeted by the season of giving. As we prepare to spend cherished moments with the people we adore, our lists begin to form as we start thinking about the people in our lives that deserve a little something special.
If you happen to be in search of a little something special for your favourite UX designer, then look no further. Cast your eyes down the following list and see if there’s something that will make them feel truly cherished. If your favourite UX designer happens to be you… Then go on… Treat yourself 😉
For the UX Designer’s Toolkit:
UX designer’s are continuously on the hunt for new tools that will streamline their design processes. Here are some tools that would be a welcome addition to any UX designer’s toolkit:
The Wipebook
The Wipebook is essentially a whiteboard notebook. With pages that act as erasable whiteboards, you can write or draw on the pages, then easily wipe your markings away. Non-permanent surfaces have been shown to increase creativity by allowing freedom in the modification of ideas, making this an incredible tool for brainstorming. Get it here.
UI Stencils
UI Stencils are a great tool for quickly and legibly sketching out ideas for websites or apps. They provide welcome assistance for any designer whose sketched boxes look more like parallelograms than squares (guilty). Featuring all the icons and elements a UX designer is likely to need, it promises to make the life of a UX designer not only more efficient but also more fun. Get it here.
Wireframe Deck
The Wireframe Deck is a great tool for UX designers to quickly map out the priorities for a design by simply rearranging cards on a table. It’s an excellent hands-on approach to planning content strategy and hierarchy with teams or clients before moving to the computer, making it a gift that any UX designer would be happy to receive. Get it here.
For the UX Designer’s Mind:
UX Design as a profession requires a continuous growth mindset. Here are some great gift ideas for those UX Designers looking to expand both their knowledge and their skills:
A Book Apart Gift Card
A Book Apart has a library of books that serves as a guide to all things web design. The core idea of each of their books is to learn from the experts, but to make it short. Interested in responsive web design? Read a quick book by the guy who coined the term. These books are an incredible resource for all creative professionals looking to expand their knowledge. Get a gift card here.
Skillshare Gift Card
Skillshare is an online learning platform that offers access to thousands of amazing design classes. It’s a gift with endless potential. The best part? You don’t even have to worry about picking the right subject for the person you are gifting it to. Just select your desired subscription package, and the rest is up to them. It’s perfect choice for every curious and creative person in your life. Get it here.
A Book On Learning HTML, CSS & Javascript
Learn to Code Now is a guide to learning HTML, CSS and Javascript, designed for creative people that want to learn to code. Understanding the inner-workings of code provides designers with the opportunity to see how the medium can help bring their ideas to life. Gifting this book will definitely give a solid advantage to anyone wanting to level up their professional and personal skills. Get it here.
For The UX Designer’s Tech Collection:
It may come as no surprise, but people who are obsessed with great user experience also happen to be obsessed with well designed tech. Here are some gadgets that will definitely streamline their workflow:
Livescribe Smartpen
The Livescribe Echo is a smartpen that has the capability to record audio while you write notes. Interviews, user research and user testing are all integral components of UX research – and they all require superior note-taking skills. To upgrade the way the UX designer in your life takes notes, get it here.
What have you decided to gift this season?
Whether they are a UX designer or not, what have you decided to gift the special people in your life? Tell me about it in the comments below!
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