30X40 Design Workshop: Professional Tools and Mobile Software Resources

A gift guide is basically an edit. In a small way it’s similar to what we do for our clients. They come to us with near infinite possibilities and we design + curate the best options. Both require understanding the context, weighing the options and choosing the thing that will actually serve the person on the receiving end. The scale and stakes are different, but the idea is the same. Here’s this year’s edit. Enjoy…

Digital Assets and Professional Resources

The 30X40 Design Workshop offers specialized tools for creators, including Procreate Brushes and Drawing Templates. For those looking to grow their business, there is the Startup Toolkit + Finding Clients Course and the A+E Course. All designers keep a sketchbook, and these are trusty favorites designed + manufactured by 30X40, which means you’ll be supporting an independent creator instead of a multi-national corporation, which I especially appreciate!

Gadgets + Tools

Plaud Note ($127): Taking notes while trying to run a meeting or give a site visit your full attention is almost impossible. You either focus and miss details or write everything down and lose the meat of the conversation. This is a tiny AI voice rec... M.R. Tape Dispenser ($68) is a precision-machined stainless steel tape dispenser that works as well on a desk as it does mounted to a wall. Minimal, functional and quietly clever, it is a small upgrade to a tool everyone uses but rarely thinks about.

Home + Studio Essentials

Good design isn’t just about what you see, it’s about how you live. As designers, we appreciate all dimensions of space, we have five senses after all.

  • Drehgriffel pencil ($34.50): My personal pick is the Rising Sun color way. Solid aluminum barrel, twist mechanism, 0.7mm HB lead and an impossible name to pronounce. It’s super stylish and has a nice weight and balance in the hand.
  • Woodrow Trash Can ($35): They’re made of wood with clean lines, integrated handles and they’re available in five colors.
  • Hay Wall Clock ($90): Jasper Morrison designed this clock taking inspiration from the institutional clocks found in schools and train stations, stripping them to their essentials.
  • FullSwing Wood Clothespins, Set of 2 ($35): These are absolutely a splurge, but they’re the kind of small, well-crafted everyday object that reminds you why well-designed things matter.

Product Pricing and Availability Summary

  • Plaud Note: $127
  • M.R. Tape Dispenser: $68
  • Hay Wall Clock: $90
  • Braun Wall Clock: $66
  • Cast Iron Candle Stand: $161
  • Hawkins New York Oversized Throw: $198
  • Drehgriffel pencil: $34.50
  • Woodrow Trash Can: $35
  • FullSwing Wood Clothespins: $35
  • Skandinavisk Skog: $39 - $55
  • Folded Onion Ornament: $12