My Design Geek Gift Guide 2024

Friends, it’s finally here. The post you have been awaiting all year… it’s Christy’s Annual Design Geek Gift Guide 2024!

We might have passed through Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Shoot! I Need to Buy Stuff Sunday, Cyber Monday, etc. etc., but there’s still time to shop for the designers in your life.

This is a compilation of some of my favorite items to gift, or that I hope (hint hint, family and friends) to be gifted. If you have additional ideas, feel free to share!

Helvetica calendar

Designed by one of the greats of minimalism, Massimo Vignelli, this black & white and bold all over calendar celebrates the clean utilitarian wonder of Helvetica. The Stendig calendar is named for Charles Stendig, an American importer of European furniture in the 1950s-’70s, and one of the pioneers of the mid-century modern unit. I don’t have one – yet (hint, hint, friends, fam and fans), but this is a “cool designer” staple that I’ve seen in many designers’ behind-the-scenes studio pics. Maybe one day I’ll be cool enough to own one, too. I also love the ecologically conscious recommendation to reuse past-month sheets as gift wrap.

Designy movie poster

It’s always fun to see artwork fellow fans have made for movies I love. A design nerd would love to see a unique, illustrative take on their favorite movie or movie poster. One of my personal faves is “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” I love that movie because the visual, artistic elements of the film serve the story perfectly. It’s very creative filmmaking.  Multiple designers have offered up their interpretations for an image that best represents this lovely, quirky, vulnerable film. A few that have caught my eye in particular are this minimalist design with a typography background and this bold, bi-colored piece that brings to mind vintage book illustrations when picture books only used two or three colors.

Fake Love Letters, Forged Telegrams, and Prison Escape Maps: Designing Graphic Props for Filmmaking

When you watch a movie, do you take note of things like signs, menus, maps or letterheads? Those are all created by a graphic artist or designer. I treated myself to this book written by Annie Atkins, who is a supercool chick of graphic-related prop design, and I love all the thoughtful details that go into her work. “Fake Love Letters…” is especially great for Wes Anderson fans, as Atkins has worked on several of his visually iconic films, including “Isle of Dogs,” “The French Dispatch,” and one of the best design fangirl movies ever, “The Grand Budapest Hotel.”

You Are Here: Personal Geographies and Other Maps of the Imagination

This is one of my favorite art books — it explores maps as a medium for visual storytelling called “personal geographies.” Personal geography is a pretty cool concept. It’s based on how we relate to the space around us – how we see it, as opposed to how it objectively “is.” If your friend is a design nerd, chances are they already enjoy a good map. Now add in this idea of personal geographies and you’ve got a real prize.

Anything with vintage typography

I am always on the hunt for fun and unique vintage typography finds. They remind me of the history of my profession and help me feel like part of a larger creative community. Here are some examples:

19th-century advertisements for music boxes
I love how the lettering looks hand drawn. Look closely: Not all of the ads are exactly the same. I like seeing the variety in the letters, the different explorations. It’s so straightforward and refreshing.

1887 salad dressing ad
Vintage print ads for food products are amazing. I think this one is cool because it’s all text, and the wording is weirdly aggressive. Maybe grandiose? This could be a great gift for someone to hang in their kitchen. It’s a little piece of history.

Zine scene subscription

Zines are an edgy, punk subculture that is graphic design adjacent and that I fully admire. Historically, they’ve been a way for marginalized groups to raise their voices through self-published print and art, or for folks with non-mainstream interests to come together. Notable examples of ‘zine cultures include sci-fi fans in the 1930s and ‘40s, ‘70s punk, and ‘90s riot grrrl. Precursors to zines include “little magazines” of the Harlem Renaissance, suffragist pamphlets, and as far back as guides for witchcraft, or Martin Luther’s 95 Theses.

I just joined this curated zine subscription from our local bookstore, People’s Book in Takoma Park, MD, and love it so far!

Pantone color of the year merch

Every year designers wait with bated breath to learn what Pantone’s official Color of the Year will be. Will it be a bold, passionate Tangerine Tango, like in 2012 (check my Instagram – I obviously wept with sheer joy at this one); a renewing Greenery, a la 2017; or a gentle, nurturing hue, like 2024’s Peach Fuzz? A lot of companies will do partnerships with Pantone to cash in on the color of the year, but the real deal awesome gift for your designer pal is a piece of actual COW* Pantone merch, especially if it’s one of their favorite colors. It’s kind of a designer status symbol to have a Pantone mug, or – hold on to your hats – sneakers. I know, right?

*Let’s say it “see oh double yew,” not “cow, as in ‘moo’”

Mama in the Moon book

This is my absolute fave children’s book that I bought this year for Grayson, my newly minted ONE-YEAR-OLD! Can you believe it? He’s growing and changing so fast, and I really try to slow down and cherish the moments. Reading beautiful picture books together is one of my favorite ways to do that. Any designy folks would love the illustrations and use of color in this encouraging parenting story. You can read more about the creation of the book in this NPR article, which also includes a genuinely cute meet-cute story of how the author and illustrator - same last name, not married, now dating – met.