Holiday Gift Ideas for Design Engineers— 2023
This is our fourth year putting together a holiday gift list. Why do we keep doing it? As a BDR team, it’s fun to see what “things” we’ve been using this past year in our engineering/design related work as we put the list together. But we’re only five people. For everyone else, maybe this list can help give you some ideas of what you want to give— or get— this holiday season. Best of luck and happy holidays!
Tools
Screwdriver Key chain ($6.99)
John: I tend to use the end of my car and house keys for some other task they aren’t designed for like scraping, prying, cutting, and screwdriving almost once a week. I’m fairly confident you or someone you know does the same thing. We should just embrace the concept and keep some screwdrivers on our key rings. Having access to the right tool as a designer is nice, but having the right tool in your pocket at all times is, well, nicer.
2. Incra PRO Ruler ($54.95)
Chris: This is a hyper precise ruler made out of thin gage stainless steel. The combination of two things makes it particularly unique and valuable when laying out precise markings; (1) the ruler has micro-fine marking holes and slots to place your mark exactly on target, and (2) the T-bar follows the edge of your work piece to mark perfectly placed horizontal or vertical lines. Keep in mind that it is a precision marking instrument and not one to just toss in a drawer with other rules, since this one may get deformed. I recommend the PRO version because it has inches down to 0.01”, and can mark as small as 1 mm.
3. Credit Card Multi-Tool ($11.99)
Will: Swiss Army knives are out and this is in. The credit card multi-tool looks like a credit card and fits in a wallet, but still provides amazing functionality for the pocket prototyper with 18 tools. Just don’t forget to take it out of your wallet when you go through airport security!
4. Reader Safety Glasses ($10.00)
Chris: If you use readers, and also wear safety glasses in the shop, I believe you’ll find these safety glasses are super useful. Before I had a pair, I used to justify that it would be better for me to see clearly with a pair of readers than to have a pair of actual safety glasses on. Now I can do both.
5. Desoldering Pump ($16.99)
Natalie: If you spend any time soldering, you need a desoldering pump. There are few things worse than trying to undo your soldering mistakes without this. There are fancier, more expensive options, but something simple like this will work just fine for general purposes.
Prototyping
6. Soldering Iron Kit ($14.99)
Andrew: A perfect kit for prototyping, hobbying, or semi-professional soldering. It includes extra tips, solder, a desoldering tool, a practice circuit board, shrink tubing, and a bunch of other accessories to make your soldering perfect.
7. Tracer Paper ($14.97)
Samuel: This is a fun addition to your sketching products. What’s nice about tracer paper is that you can print off photos, drawings, or take other sketches, outline them with the tracer paper, and transfer the sketch to another piece of paper. This action of copying sketches is quite easy with a tablet and digital sketching, but there’s something thrilling about doing it by hand with paper.
8. Melting Furnace ($329.99)
Andrew: Who doesn’t want to start a smithy in their backyard? Well, this would be a great first step to starting your own blacksmithing shop. This kit comes with propane hookups, a crucible, air intake, and tongs. It can heat up to 2700 degrees Fahrenheit and with a 10 kg capacity, you can take your designs to the next level. Mind you, this is an expensive investment, but one that is a dream of many manufacturers.
9. Solderable/Solderfull Breadboards ($9.99)
Chris: Most of us have a love-hate relationship with breadboards, where most of the time is spent hating them. The truth is that the whole concept of breadboarding is amazing and so powerful for circuit prototyping. But too many of us try to take that breadboard and move it, or put it in an enclosure, or treat it as if it won’t fall apart if we drop it. Spinning our own custom circuit boards is where we ultimately want to get, but a good step between a solderless breadboard and custom circuit boards is the solderfull breadboard. It's laid out exactly like a solderless breadboard and can be used to make a permanent, robust, circuit. I believe these are much much easier to work with than perfboards.
10. Arduino Uno 3 Starter Kit ($59.99)
Will: The Arduino uno is perfect for making fun and cheap mechanical prototypes that are simple to construct and code. You can make a smart trash can, a plant watering system, and almost anything else you can think up.
11. Spinner Tape ($21.13)
Samuel: I followed Clark’s instructions to make my very first 3D origami design. In this article, he recommended using spinner tape to assemble your origami because of how well this tape works as a hinge. My first print was made with masking tape, and after a week of unfolding and folding, the tape fell apart. I used spinner tape in my next print, and it has lasted for 4 months! Spinner tape is made from a “tear resistant ripstop nylon,” and it has thread ribbing in the tape which allows for lots of folding.
For the office
12. Shokz Openrun Pro ($179.95)
Andrew: While not necessarily an engineering-specific product, I have found that these headphones are an excellent accessory that makes transitioning between phone calls, music, and teleconferences seamless while still allowing you to hear what’s going on around you. They are comfortable and they sound better than all of the other headphones (wireless or not) that I have ever had.
13. Cord Organizer (small - $19.99, large - $26.99)
Will: This may not seem that exciting, but how often have you been overwhelmed with electrical cords? Most of us have a spot in our office or by our TVs that has too many cords to keep track of. This aesthetic way to organize will not only make your space look nicer but make it so you don’t have to fumble with cords to find the right one anymore.
14. Wireless Mouse ($13.99)
Natalie: Many people will already own a mouse that they like. But for the few who don’t (like myself up until this year), this will be the best $13 you could possibly spend on them. Once you say goodbye to the trackpad, you’ll never go back.
Books and Fun
15. Lego Flowers ($47.99)
Natalie: Most designers are going to be thrilled about a new Lego set. But these usually end up hiding in a closet somewhere after they’ve been built. Why not choose one that can reasonably grace a bookshelf or a table?
16. Machinery’s Handbook | 31st Edition ($84.84)
Andrew: This book is the bible of manufacturing. Any and all questions an engineer might have while designing a new product can be answered in this tome of engineering knowledge.
17. Cool Fidget Gel Pens ($21.99)
John: I usually carry a pen and something to fidget with to meetings. This product is the perfect mix of those two things. Why can’t our writing implements be both utilitarian and entertaining? Even more interesting, the pen can be reconfigured into a number of positions that might help with some instantaneous prototyping, ergonomic studies, and product brainstorming. Designers use their pens and pencils for sketching, drawing, and communicating - why not for a little prototyping too?
18. The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman ($13.49)
Samuel: The Design of Everyday Things has enabled me to be more observant and participatory in the design world. It has changed my design philosophy. Albeit a dense read (as in every page is packed with anecdotes, theory, and philosophy) Norman also has a conversational and engaging tone. Norman himself is an engineer turned designer-psychologist, and as such this book is an especially great read for any engineer who wants to step more into the design world.
19. Universal Principles of Design ($35.00)
Chris: I now consider this a classic book. It has been on my shelf for many years and used frequently. I like that the book is visual and instructive in bite sized pieces. Each principle is a single spread in the book’s alphabetical layout. It provides references to further reading. Principles included Inverted Pyramid, Hierarchy of Needs, Golden Ratio, and 97 others.
20. The Exceptionally Simple Theory of Sketching ($11.99)
Chris: I found this small book this year and was incredibly impressed. Its title is telling and accurate. The book was written by George Hlavacs, an industrial designer and lecturer at University of Rotterdam. As a lecturer in cognitive ergonomics, he conducted research on how the human brain reacts to visual information in handmade sketches. His findings inform the sketching principles in his book. Interestingly, he also examined which practicing methods result in the most efficient and joyful learning process. The book has multiple good sketching exercises.
21. NYTimes Gift Subscription ($50 annually)
Natalie: This was one of my favorite gifts I’ve ever received. Everybody needs a brain break sometimes. The New York Crossword is the way to go. A subscription will also grant you access to Sudokus and several word games. My personal favorite is Connections (and it’s actually free without the subscription!).
All prices are in USD.
