The Classic
Your basic starter pack - the gifts likely to be a hit with any service design or design-ey or aspiring designer type.
Post-its and Sharpies. Must be 3M, not a generic brand. We like a mix of rectangular and square ones and bright colours. Nothing beats a fresh, chisel pointed Sharpie. Satisfying.
Muji notebook and pen. Dot grid or blank page only please. A Moleskin if you’re feeling extra fancy. Or Leuchtturm1917 Hardcover Notebook Classic (A5)!
Good Services by Lou Downe. Many people will have this book already, so the stickers or posters are another nice bet.
Black roll neck sweater. The classic designer look. Issey Miyake was the Steve Jobs fave, you could look for a vintage one. I have a Frank and Oak cotton one, here’s a merino wool mens version. Or Toronto local designer OkayOK has a cool sweatshirt version.
The Facilitation Nerd
Is your giftee always running workshops? Do they try to turn your personal life into facilitated discussions with clustering, dot voting and impact-effort matrices? Here’s some picks for the facilitation-inclined.
Visual clock timer. I’ve had my eye on one of these forever. It would be great for in person workshops, and I reckon my two year old would love it too. Timed tidy up race anyone?
Overalls with pockets. Easy, one and done, go-to facilitation outfit, practical and stylish. Keeps supplies and phone handy. I love mine from Birds of North America - vegan, sustainably made, they have a circularity program to return your clothes. Go full workwear with brands like Duer, Dickies or Levis. Alternatively, a pinafore apron gives chill Montessori guide vibes.
Pebble Talk warm up prompt cards. Oh hey, how did that get in there?! Fun facilitation prompts for workshops and meetings - curated by the Made Manifest team. We’ve got eight left!
Comfy, on trend shoes. Perfect for long days on your feet at workshops. I was gonna put the New Balance 327, but I have it on good authority that the cool shoe next year is the 1906. TBH I’ve fully aged out of fashion and think they’re uggo but what do I know? Another option might be the very comfy HOKA shoe.
Chime. One of my fave clients has a chime in their workshop kit, so genius! Great for getting attention back in loud rooms. Very zen.
Desk ring light. Maybe they’re doing a lot more virtual facilitation and some decent lighting would help. Here’s one from Ikea.
The Design Snob
Designers can be notoriously picky. (My mum hates buying me presents due to my strong opinions and aesthetic preferences). Try these!
Museum membership for a local museum. For Torontonians, this could be the Museum of Contemporary Art for example. Gift a year of access to inspiration and support to a cultural institution.
Subscription to an art or design magazine, like C Mag, which explores contemporary art and criticism. Bonus points for supporting print media and it's a gift that keeps giving all year!
Fancy coffee beans. Always a hit. Something like Hale for Torontonians or your local equivalent. See if you can find ethical or open chain options. (True story - one of the main reasons I went to design school is as a leaving cert student on my NCAD campus tour I saw a lot of hot guys in fingerless gloves drinking coffee in the industrial design studio. And here we are.)
Chemex pour over and filters. Beautiful and useful for the coffee connoisseurs. I don’t actually drink coffee so I”ll leave it at that.
Pottery class. It’s easier to tear down than to build - give your tastemaker a taste of how hard it is to create something to their standards, and get them a break from all that screen time. Again you’ll have to look for your local options - Toronto ones include Clay with Me and Parkdale Pottery.
313 Design Market or Swipe Design or your local equivalent gift voucher. Give up and let them pick their own gift 😂
The Social Innovator
It’s a special group of folks who choose to apply their skills for the greater good inside the belly of the public and non-profit sector space. They deserve our admiration and thanks for valiantly and tirelessly striving for a better world.
The Service Organization. Kate Tarling’s indispensable 2023 book on doing service design in the public sector. Practical, no nonsense, and written by someone with deep expertise in the space.
Mepal cutlery set. These folks often have mandatory in-office days and less than inspiring kitchens or lunch rooms. Help save on disposable cutlery and make lunch cuter! You can sit with us.
HmntyCntrd Community Membership. Professional development budgets and reimbursement policies can be more restrictive in public and social sectors, so an opportunity to connect with and learn from the Hmnty Cntrd community might be appreciated. Vivianne Castillo, Alba Villamil and team, including guest facilitators, bring unmatched expertise and thoughtfulness around topics like practical ethics and restoring care.
Saje Peppermint Halo. Natural remedy for all of those bureaucratic headaches these designers inevitably face! Beware the scent free environments though, might be one to use at home.
The Great Post Office Scandal. This book would be a pretty fascinating read. The scandal is a cautionary tale of what can happen when we put too much faith and power in IT systems, and the frightening impact of hierarchical organizational cultures.
The Research and Academia Geek
Qualitative research is part and parcel of service design, and some of us even let our nerd tendencies swing towards the ivory tower of academia too. These gifts might help scratch that nerdy itch.
Just Enough Research 2024 Mule Books Edition. The go-to handbook on design research, written in plain language and newly revised.
Dovetail subscription. Our fave research analysis software. Costs went up significantly in 2024 so help would be appreciated 😂
The Materials of Service Design. Nice expensive academic book about the materials of service design. The eBook might be a bit more affordable. On my wishlist for a while now.
Library merch. So they can wear their bookish status on their sleeve. Toronto Public Library has some great mugs (as modeled by Margaret Atwood!) and tote bags. Look for your local option.
Online course. Always be learning - these folks might appreciate a chance to brush up their interview skills or improve their report writing skills, especially if they are junior or intermediate in their careers.
Have a lovely Holiday Season and see you in 2025!
This post was original published early December 2024 as part of our Ask A Service Designer Newsletter. Sign up here and get first access to our writing.
