It’s that time of year again, can you believe how fast it went?  Black Friday is almost here and we need to be ready to get some thoughtful gifts for friends and family.  However,

In a couple of days it will be my birthday and in order to help my closest friends get something that I’ll actually like or use.  Now everyone says I am very hard to buy for, so I always end up getting gift cards to restaraunts or some known electronic store.  Not anymore!  I have created the ultimate graphic design wishlist.  Hopefully my tastes appeal to other designers, so have a look and enjoy the merch.

Exotique H Mousepad: $10

“We have previously made claims that our mousepads afford the finest human interface device tracking service in the business, but customer comments and our own research and development teams have determined that this is indeed not the case. Further investigation show that the curves in the mousepad artwork were drawn with such care that they created a harmonic imbalance at key apex points, causing infrared interference throughout the user’s effective pointing zone. Ironically, the result was much like when all of that nasty gunk from your desk plus a few stray hairs got caught up in your old school ball-tracking mouse. But this one still looks cool, no?”

A great addition to any office, don’t you think?

Small Neutraface Slab Pillow, $45

“Type designers Christian Schwartz, Kai Bernau, Susana Carvalho, Ken Barber and Ben Kiel spent countless hours seated at their desks and toiling over our forthcoming Neutraface Slab font collection, so we designed this type-patterned pillow to remind their respective lumbar areas that typography can provide visual and physical comfort.”

Start dreaming of typography here

Cast Aluminum Ampersand, $195

“Can’t take the weight of a solid piece of iron typography? Think the ferrous version will tear out the bottom of your messenger bag or absorb so much magnetic energy that it’ll erase the hard disk on your laptop? Try this beautiful cast aluminum specimen! With more than a 60% weight savings, you can conserve fuel when transporting it home after charging it to your boss’s corporate American Express card. Each sculpture is individually sand cast, hand selected by a qualified House Industries staff member and assigned a unique number. Remember that each of these have eclectic nuances and will differ from the photograph. Made in the USA.”

This can be used for many things… the possibilities are endless.

Mens Typographreaks Tee, $20

“When the Fast Company editors asked us to do a headline for their “Typographreaks” article on us, the House Industries inspirational compass pointed toward Rick “Super Freak” James and his red patent leather thigh boots. The weight of Mr. James’ legacy drove our pencils and pens to new heights of self-licking lettering innovation. Now you can relive this magical musical era while showing the world your true appreciation for our spirit of typographic invention.”

Start looking snazzy today, buy one here!

I Draw Pictures All Day Tshirt, $22

“It’s word association. You say “I’m a designer,” and they hear “I draw pictures all day.” It would take too long to explain what you really do, so take the words right out of their mouth and wear them proudly. As rumors go, this one isn’t half bad. Perfect in army green, for soldiering through misperceptions. Set in Nick Shinn’s wonderful Goodchild.”

I have one and you need one, get it here.

Woodgrain Portfolio, $179

“Turn heads before the cover even opens. This handmade aluminum portfolio is styled with a rich cherry veneer cover. Reddish brown with a tight, straight grain. A strong screw-post binding holds your 11″ x 14″ pages in place, with 10 included to get you started. Stows away in a charcoal gray sleeve with a quaintly sewn Veer logo, each one lined with a unique interior fabric.”

Customized for Veer by Shrapnel Design

Start showcasing your work in something that will get the clients attention.  Buy it here.

Secret Order Sketchbook Set, $29

“Pssst. The Very Secret Order of Creatives Understanding exists to encourage and celebrate creativity at every opportunity. Nothing encourages creativity like a blank page. Or, better yet, 144 blank pages (72 unruled sheets) of 80-lb stock. Suitable for all creative jottings: Doodles. Designs. Diabolical improv theater group manifestos.

Comes as a set with an updated version of the I Draw Pictures All Day Sketchbook, same size and page count.
The Very Secret Order Member Sketchbook is emblazoned with the Order’s glorious crest. Both sketchbooks feature coil binding that lets pages lie flat and tidy. Text stock is FSC certified and contains 100% post-consumer recycled fiber. 7 1/8″ x 8 1/2″. Covers are of fingerprint-resistant textured stock.”

Get one for your loved one now here.

Logo Design Love Book, $25

In Logo Design Love, Irish graphic designer David Airey brings the best parts of his wildly popular blog of the same name to the printed page. Just as in the blog, David fills each page of this simple, modern-looking book with gorgeous logos and real world anecdotes that illustrate best practices for designing brand identity systems that last.
 
David not only shares his experiences working with clients, including sketches and final results of his successful designs, but uses the work of many well-known designers to explain why well-crafted brand identity systems are important, how to create iconic logos, and how to best work with clients to achieve success as a designer. Contributors include Gerard Huerta, who designed the logos for Time magazine and Waldenbooks; Lindon Leader, who created the current FedEx brand identity system as well as the CIGNA logo; and many more.
 
Readers will learn:

•    Why one logo is more effective than another
•    How to create their own iconic designs
•    What sets some designers above the rest
•    Best practices for working with clients
•    25 practical design tips for creating logos that last

Pre-order the book now here.

TSOVET Limited Edition AT76 Watch, $1,250

Now yes this is pricey, and yes it’s something I’ve wanted for a very long time.  I am not a fan of the everyday watches you see nearly everywhere nowadays (fossil).  I love the uniqueness of this — From the site:

“If you’ve been captivated by the dark, technical style of vintage aircraft gauges, then the TSOVET Limited Edition AT76 Watch ($950) will appeal to you. Inspired by the precision and style of avionic gauges, the AT76’s water resistant housing is made from aerospace-grade stainless steel, has a PVD-coated dial, an anti-reflective and scratch resistant mineral crystal face, and a non-corrosive, brushed satin finish. Internals are driven by the Rhonda 515, a Swiss timepiece with accurate quartz movement, indicating the time and date with luminous hands and markers.”

Visit TSOVET to find your dream watch.

Macbook Pro Ram Upgrade, $50

“I just purchased the 4gb ram for my macbook pro and I can’t begin to describe you how fast it is.  I run about 10 apps at a time and handles it like its nothing.  Check it out.”

2GB, 204-pin SODIMM, DDR3 PC3-8500 memory module
CT898332

•    Module Size: 2GB
•    Package: 204-pin SODIMM
•    Feature: DDR3 PC3-8500
•    Specs: DDR3 PC3-8500 • CL=7 • Unbuffered • NON-ECC • DDR3-1066 • 1.5V • 256Meg x 64

Visit Crucial.com to upgrade your macbook pro.

MacStyles, $19-29

“MacStyles.com offers a variety of high-quality, customizable vinyl skins made exclusively for Mac notebooks. Whether you are looking to create an intense new look for your laptop or provide simple, clean protection, MacStyles.com has you covered.”

MyFonts Gift Certificate, $_______

“Myfonts.com is a great site for buying individual fonts.  MyFonts is a division of Bitstream Inc., located in Marlborough, Massachusetts, USA. Our mission is to make it simple for everyone to find and buy fonts. In pursuit of this mission, MyFonts has pioneered new ways to search for fonts when you don’t have an exact font in mind, including…”

•    More Fonts Like This, to find related fonts using a particular font as a starting point
•    WhatTheFont™, for instant automated identification of the font used in a photograph or scan
•    WhatTheFont™ forum, to enlist help from font experts for hard-to-match font samples
•    User-provided tags, harnessing the power of thousands of users to help each other categorize fonts

Go to myfonts.com to find out more information

Postbox Email App, $39

“Email is our command center for getting things done. But let’s face it, email tools haven’t kept pace with the practical ways we use our inboxes — storing files, managing information, reminders for things to do, etc.

Postbox lets you work with email the way you’ve always wanted. Powered by an ultra-fast email engine and a sharp-looking, intuitive interface, Postbox will help you focus, save time, and get more done.”

See more at postbox-inc.com

Things App, $49

“Task management has never been this easy. Simplicity, however, is not achieved at the expense of powerful features. Download your free trial today and start getting more things done with less effort.”

See more at culturedcode.com

Intuous 4, $229 – $789

“Intuos4 redefines the Intuos pen tablet experience, thanks to a new design and new features inspired by members of our professional creative community.”

Find out more about the intuos product line here and see whats right for you.

Typetees, Various Shirts, $15

Check out threadless and type tees for some of the funniest shirts ever.

Adobe Design Premium CS3, $800

• The ideal solution for creating pages for print, designing pages for the web and mobile devices, editing photos, and creating illustrations

• Deliver innovative ideas in print, web, and mobile design

• Enjoy a unified, integrated design experience with new self-adjusting panels and other shared interface elements for maximum productivity

• Combines full new versions of Adobe InDesign CS3, Photoshop CS3 Extended, Illustrator CS3, Flash CS3 Professional, Dreamweaver CS3, and Acrobat 8 Professional

• Combines all-new versions of essential tools for producing everything from professional page layouts to rich interactive experiences in a unified, intuitive environment

Find it on amazon here.  Or buy the CS4 (newer version) here.

Star Trek Blu Ray DVD, $19

“Leave it to LOST and Alias mastermind J.J. Abrams to reboot one of sci-fi’s most beloved franchises without too much bitching from the diehard Trekkies. Star Trek ($13-$20) was easily the year’s best science fiction film, and one of the most successful re-launches in recent history. Travelling back to before Capt. James T. Kirk was even in Starfleet, the new…” — Read more on uncrate.com

Buy it on amazon in Blu Ray format here.

Hitachi SimpleTough 500mb External Hard Drive, $115

• Plug n’ play simple for instant USB drive access
• Keep your data intact and no reformatting required
• Rugged pocket-sized design
• Velvety smooth texture for a secure grip
• Durable and made for travel

Buy it on amazon here.

There are many more things out there that would definitely make this list, but for now, this will have to be good enough for you all to get started.  Now if you want to get anything on this list and send it to me, that would be fine.  Enjoy and God Bless!

Resources:

Amazon.com

Houseind.com

Uncrate.com

Apple.com

Intuos.com

Threadless.com

Culturedcode.com

Postbox-inc.com

Myfonts.com

Crucial.com

Macstyles.com

Veer.com

Davidairey.com