7 Timeless tools for the designer in your life
The Smart Design shortlist
Need help shopping for the designer or design enthusiast in your life this holiday season? At Smart Design, our teams spend their days obsessing over the tools, books, and objects that make great design possible. So we gathered our Smarties’ most beloved essentials: the tools we reach for daily, the books that shape our craft, and the beautifully made objects that spark joy every time we pick them up.
Whether you’re shopping for a seasoned designer or someone just beginning their creative journey, this gift guide is full of items that are thoughtful, practical, and built to last. Consider this your shortcut to gifting with great taste.
CW&T Pen Type-C
Brooklyn based design studio CW&T have been building the most beautiful, precision machined pens and objects for years. It’s hard to choose one, but our team recommends the Pen Type-C from the bunch. Its the most high-quality, portable, and fun low profile pen on the market. It uses standard ink refills, while having various cool colors and finishes. There’s also a pencil version!
Designing Motherhood by Fisher and Winick
Between gorgeous imagery, encyclopedic history, and personal storytelling, “Designing Motherhood” covers the broad expanse of objects throughout history which have gone largely unnoticed. The products and narratives featured in this book have significant impact on the daily lives of most of the world and can help us as readers become better, more empathetic designers.
Bambu PLA Matte
If you use a Bambu printer, this is our favorite filament to prototype with. The matte PLA comes in a wide array of colors, but the two we use most are the Bone White and the Nardo Gray. We prefer them to pure white and black because they photograph much better and pair together nicely.
Toyo Steel Toolbox Y-280
A toolbox is not only an object that holds the heart, but is both timeless and nostalgic. Clasped between sheets of metal, the Toyo boxes are icons of design for their rugged simplicity and bold colors. Be it drawing instruments, jewelry, or even tools, anything can go in a box if you put it there.
OXO Rapid Brewer
Small, portable, high quality, and innovative, the Rapid Brewer is everything you’ve come to expect from an OXO product. It brings cold brew concentrate into the hands of designers everywhere, in just five minutes flat. A quick caffeine fix is always appreciated when you’re heads down in the thick of a project.
Dieter Rams: As Little Design as Possible by Lovell
Every designer knows and loves Dieter Rams. Even 70 years later, he’s one of the leading figures shaping the aesthetics of today’s product landscape with many of his designs still appearing on our moodboards. This book covers his life, career, and products. One of the most exciting parts of this book is the close up photography of the products which reveal details and decisions that are impossible to find anywhere else. You’ll understand why he is Jony Ive’s biggest inspiration, since Jony wrote the introduction!
Starrett C636ME-150
We love our measurement tools at Smart Design. From calipers to force gauges, there’s a “best” for everything. We love a 6″ (or 150mm) ruler; they fit perfectly in a pocket, capture most basic measurements, and everyone needs (or rather wants) more than one. And if you want the best, we recommend the Starrett C636ME-150, with both imperial and metric measurements. These have a satin chrome finish that is satisfying to hold and won’t reflect light into your eyes, plus the units are perfectly scribed into the steel.
Wrapping it up
From precision tools to iconic books and even the small objects that elevate everyday work, these seven picks reflect what inspires our team and keeps us innovating. Whether you’re giving these to an expert or a layman, each item brings a blend of utility, beauty, and lasting value that anyone can appreciate. We hope this list has inspired you, helped you support the makers in your life, and maybe even guided you to a timeless tool or two for yourself. Happy gifting from all of us at Smart Design!