Holiday Gifts for the Designers and Developers: 2016

It’s the most wonderful time of the year; get ready to pound the pavement (or nurse repetitive strain injuries from a scrolling finger) as you search for the perfect presents to gift the tech-lovers in your life.

Rather than falling back on tired stereotypes, here’s a list to get you thinking — it couples the nerdy nature you love them for, with some more specific interests.

You might also like: 15 Web Design Books to Put on Your Wish List This Holiday.

1. The frequent flyer

12 Holiday Gifts: Flyer

AGS ™ Wireless Laser Projection Bluetooth Virtual Keyboard & Mouse

Available at Amazon - £31.99

Know someone who needs to knock out lengthy emails from their layover hotel, but still prides themselves on their ability to travel light? Do they also harbour a thinly-veiled appreciation of James Bond-esque gadgets? This bluetooth-enabled projector will work on any flat, opaque surface and offers a sleek, compact alternative to a physical keyboard for the travelling techie on the fly.

2. The one who’s going home for the holidays

12 Holiday Gifts: Techie

'No, I will not fix your computer' T-shirt

Available at ThinkGeek.com - $19.99

It’s the request as inevitable as that second helping of pie. You’re preparing to spend the holidays with Great Aunt Maud, who doesn’t really understand your “UX designer” job title, but is absolutely certain that you’re the person to fix the disk drive on her pre-historic PC. You might like to consider self-gifting this t-shirt, and heading her off at the pass.

3. The forgetful one

12 Holiday Gifts: Forgetful

Bluetooth Tracking Tag

Available at Uncommongoods.com - $40

The perfect gift for your scatty friend, who’s always racing back to the bar five minutes after you’ve left to look for their wallet. This smart-looking tag wouldn’t look out of place on the sleekest of key chains, and uses bluetooth to locate lost items that you can’t phone to find! The location technology works both ways, meaning you can also tap the tag to help locate your phone via the accompanying app.

4. The techie of tomorrow

12 Holiday Gifts: Tomorrow

Three Pack Bodysuit Set

Available at Thinkgeek.com - $29.99

Clobber for the techie tot in your life. A set of three organic cotton bodysuits, in Circuit Board, JavaScript, and Building Brick Robots print. These might be more of a gift to the proud parents than any tiny people starting as they mean to go, but let’s face it, at that age, kiddos are more interested in the packaging anyway.

5. The device freak

12 Holiday Gifts: Device Freak

Bamboo Multi-Device Charging Station Dock & Organizer

Available at Great Useful Stuff - $34.99

For that most modern of clichés — the minimalist device junkie. The perfect gift for the person who can’t bear clutter or, heaven forbid, tangled cables.; this smart bamboo organizer will securely hold a laptop, tablets, and multiple smartphones for tabletop charging, without ruining your techie’s carefully maintained zen desktop vibe.

6. The shameless hipster

12 Holiday Gifts: Hipster

Crosley Messenger Portable 3-Speed Turntable

Available at Crosley - $76.49

For the unabashed trendsetter in your life, this portable turntable isn’t one for the shy and retiring, but is bound to come into it’s own once the weather warms up, and picnic season kicks off. It plays at three speeds, and comes with an adaptor for playing all those dusty 45s your hipster buddy tracked down in thrift stores.

7. The budding X Factor star

12 Holiday Gifts: X Factor

Moxie Rainhead Shower Head with Bluetooth Speaker

Available at Kholer.com - $299

For the housemate or partner who loves nothing better than belting out a few carols in the shower, help keep them tuneful with this bluetooth-enabled showerhead, fitted with waterproof speaker. Able to stream from smart phones, MP3 players, tablets, and laptops located up to 32 feet away.

8. The aspiring chef

12 Holiday Gifts: Foodie

Click & Grow Indoor Smart Herb Garden

Available at Click & Grow - $59.95

The perfect gift for the high-tech foodie who loves to entertain, this gadget would look just as good brightening up a workspace as it would on your kitchen counter. A Kickstarter success story, the Click & Grow Herb Garden promises the arrival of “gardening 2.0.” Specially developed Smart Soil and built-in sensors make sure your seedlings germinate, grow, and thrive with the optimal levels of water, oxygen, and nutrients. No pesticides, hormones, or green thumbs required.

9. The remote worker

12 Holiday Gifts: Remote Worker

Maple Laptop Stand

Available at Grovemade.com - $139

Working from home can sometimes blur the lines between office hours and home life. Help your remote worker buddy distinguish between the two (and improve their posture too) with this smart laptop stand. Transform any kitchen table into a functional, ergonomic workspace, then easily remove once you clock-out for the day.

10. The keen cyclist

12 Holiday Gifts: Cyclist

Ellipse Smart Bike Lock

Available at Lattis.io - $199

For the friend who likes their commute on two wheels, the Ellipse heralds a new era of smart bike security. No keys to weigh down your pockets, simply unlock with a tap of your phone. It will also send you an alert should your bike be disturbed (adjustable sensitivity for those parking on busy bike racks!). Comes with two locking mechanisms, one on each side, which means it needs to be cut through twice to break. The built-in accelerometer means this lock can also detect crashes, and will automatically alert your emergency contacts if it thinks you might have been in one.

11. The Jedi in training

12 Holiday Gifts: R2D2

R2-D2 USB Car Charger

Available at Thinkgeek.com - $29.99

This is the droid you are looking for! The perfect gift for the Star Wars fan in your life: practical, helpful, and kind of cute, just like the real R2D2. Compatible with anything that charges via USB, this little droid will happily dock in your cup holder. It plugs into the cigarette lighter to give you two charging ports, whether you travel by Millennium Falcon, or Ford Mondeo.

12. The fashionista

12 Holiday Gifts: Fashionista

Sterling Silver Binary Cuff Bracelet

Available at NiciArt- $75

This sweet, sterling silver bracelet can be personalized with any message, and translated into that timeless language of love (possibly), binary. Understated and simple, this is the perfect gift for the fashion-forward friend who likes to wear her tech credentials on her sleeve.

Bonus: The entrepreneur

12 Holiday Gifts: Shopify Socks

Work Hard/Play Hard Shopify Socks

Available at Shopify Stockroom - $17.00

Finally, because no holiday gift-giving session is complete without socks: the perfect pair for the hard-grafting hustler in your life. Imbued with powerful Shopify entrepreneurial magic, they are guaranteed to motivate the wearer to great things in 2017, but also come with an important work-life balance reminder, revealed as soon as you put your feet up…

You might also like: A Freelancer’s Guide to Taking a Vacation.

What gifts are you giving the web designers and developers in your life this holiday season? Tell us in the comments section below.

Cat Hunter