Nick Finck

Gifts for User Experience Geeks 2010
Nov 15th, 2010

As part of a tradition over the last two years (2008 and 2009) it is once again time for the gifts for user experience geeks post for the 2010 holiday season.  This list is a collection of items I have come across over the last year that would make the ideal gifts for UX geeks like Information Architects, Usability Specialists, Interaction Designers, and even Web Designers.  I also put the call out to several of my colleagues to contribute suggestions and I have included those where I felt they were a good fit.  Thank you to everyone who contributed!  Hope you like the list.  If you notice something not on my list let me know and I’ll add it!

Diagramming, Sketching, & Prototyping Software

• OmniGraffle Professional 5.2.3 for Mac ($199.95)
• OmniGraffle 1.4 for iPad ($49.99)
• Microsoft Visio Professional 2010 for Windows ($559.99)
• Expression Studio 4 Ultimate for Windows ($599)
• Balsamiq Mockups Desktop for Mac & Windows ($79)
• ProtoShare Web-Based App ($29+/month)
• Axure RP Pro 5.6 for Mac & Windows ($589)
• iRise Professional for Windows ($6,995/seat)
• Adobe Fireworks CS4 for Mac & Windows ($299)
• Autodesk SketchBook Mobile for iPhone ($2.99)
• IconFactory xScope for Mac ($26.95)

User Research Software

• Silverback 2.0 for Mac ($69.95)
• Ethnio Web-Based App ($400 for 200 recruits)
• Loop11 Web-Based App ($350 for 1,000 participants)
• Morae 3.1 for Windows ($1,495)
• Camtasia Studio for Windows ($299)
• Camtasia Mac for Mac ($99)
• Snagit for Mac & Windows ($49.95)
• Chalkmark Web-Based App ($109/month)
• Treejack Web-Based App ($109/month)
• OptimalSort Web-Based App ($109/month)
• OpenHallway Web-Based App ($19/month)
• AddUse Web-Based App ($49+)
• SurveyMonkey Web-Based App ($19.95/month for 1,000 responses)
• GoToMeeting for Mac & Windows ($49/month)
• WebEx for Mac & Windows ($49/month)
• Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro for Mac & Windows ($45/month)
• IntuitionHQ Web-Based App ($9/user test)
• Clicktale ($99/month for 20,000 pageviews)
• ChartBeat ($9.95/month for 1,000 concurrent visits)
• Google Analytics (free!)

Productivity Software

• Dropbox for Mac, Windows, Linux, iPad, iPhone, Android, & Blackberry ($9.95/month)
• Review for Mac, & iPhone ($2.99)
• Draftboard Web-Based App ($12/month)

Software Add-Ons

• Konigi Wireframe Stencils for Omnigraffle (free!)
• Konigi UX Template for Omnigraffle (free!)
• Konigi Wireframe Icons for Omnigraffle ($12)
• Konigi Wireframe Icons for Axure ($12)
• Konigi Sketch Stencils for Omnigraffle ($12)
• Konigi Keynote Wireframe Toolkit for Keynote ($12)
• Keynote & Powerpoint Wireframe Toolkit for Keynote & Powerpoint ($12)

Prototyping and Sketching Goodies

• UXPin ($19.99)
• Website Stencil Kit ($24.95)
• iPhone Stencil Kit ($24.95)
• iPad Stencil Kit ($24.95)
• Android Stencil Kit ($24.95)
• GUI Magnets (€19.99)

Paper Products

• Dot Grid Book ($14)
• Action Method Paper Products ($5-$15)
• Browser Sketch Pad ($12.95)
• iPhone Sketch Pad ($12.95)
• iPhone Sticky Pad ($7.95)
• iPad Sketchbook ($12.95)
• Moleskine notebooks ($3+)
• Manga Sticky Notes ($8)
• iPhone App Sketchbook ($9.95)
• AppBooks ($18)
• Post-It Notes ($6.99+)
• Notefolio ($36)

Drawing Surfaces

• IdeaPaint ($199.50)
• Glass (and Magnetic) Whiteboard ($350+)
• Magic Whiteboard (£19.99+)
• Post-it Portable Easel with Dry-Erase ($34.99)

Sketching Instruments

• Factory Floor Issue Longhand Set ($20)
• Pulse Smartpen ($129.95)
• Staedtler Mars Technico 2 mm Lead Holder ($9.99)
• Sharpie Stainless Steel Fine Point Permanent Marker ($6.99)
• Pentel Sharp Kerry 0.50mm mechanical pencil & case ($14.69)
• Uni-Ball Jetstream 0.7mm gel pen ($2.99)
• Uni-ball Jetstream rubber bodied 0.7mm ballpoint pen ($3.75)
• Sakura Micron .45mm black marker ($2.79)
• Sanford Liquid Expresso pen ($2.29)
• Faber-Castell Pitt Artist pen gift box, Set of 24 ($39.99)
• Prismacolor Premier Double Ended Art Markers, Set of 48 ($87.15)
• Expo Low Oder Dry Erase Markers ($5.39)
• Eraser Brush (£7.50)
• Kokuyo Will Stationery Actic Egg Shape Eraser ($2.25)
• Kokuyo KadoKeshi Stick Mini Twist Eraser ($3.00)

Cards, Games, & Calendars

• Mental Notes ($33)
• nForm UX Trading Cards (Priceless / only available at the IA Summit)
• IDEO Method Cards ($49)
• ThinkCube ($100)
• 2011 Engagement Calendar ($20)
• 2011 User Experience Calendar ($12.95)

Hardware Related

• Apple iPad ($499)
• Scratch-n-Scroll mousepad ($14.99)
• Bluelounge CableDrop Cable Holder ($9.95)
• Bluelounge Notebook Kit ($19.95)
• Sling Back cord retractor ($8.99)
• Logitech HD Pro Webcam C910 ($99.99)
• Wacom Intuos4 ($229+)

Clothing

• Viva Jakob T-shirt ($25)
• Don’t Make Me Think T-shirt ($25)
• Usability defined T-shirt ($25)
• Usabilitees T-shirts ($21.25-$23.25)

Events & Associations

• Membership to the Information Architecture Institute ($20-40)
• Tickets to the IA Summit 2011 in Denver, CO, USA (estimated at $750)

Rosenfeld Books

• Storytelling for User Experience by Whitney Quesenbery & Kevin Brooks ($39)
• Remote Research by Nate Bolt & Tony Tulathimutte ($39)
• Prototyping: A Practitioner’s Guide to Prototyping by Todd Zaki Warfel ($39)
• Card Sorting: Designing Usable Categories by Donna Spencer ($39)
• Design is the Problem: The Future of Design Must be Sustainable by Nathan Shedroff ($39)
• Web Form Design: Filling in the Blanks by Luke Wroblewski ($39)
• Mental Models: Aligning design strategy with human behavior by Indi Young ($39)

Other Books

• Cadence & Slang by Nick Disabato ($46)
• Information Architecture for the World Wide Web (3rd edition) by Peter Morville & Louis Rosenfeld ($26.39)
• A Project Guide to UX Design by Russ Unger and Carolyn Chandler ($23.09)
• Content Strategy for the Web by Kristina Halvorson ($16.41)
• The Web Content Strategist’s Bible by Richard Sheffield ($25.99)
• Web Anatomy by Robert Hoekman and Jared Spool ($26.39)
• Communicating Design (2nd edition) by Dan Brown ($29.69)
• Information Architecture: Blueprints for the Web (2nd edition) by Christina Wodtke & Austin Govella ($29.70)
• Designing Interactions by Bill Moggridge ($28.35)
• Sketching User Experiences by Bill Buxton ($32.97)
• Sketching User Experiences: The Workbook by Saul Greenberg, Sheelagh Carpendale, & Bill Buxton ($19.95)
• The Elements of User Experience (2nd edition): User-Centered Design for the Web by Jesse James Garrett ($26.39)
• Designing for Interactions by Dan Saffer ($22.20)
• Designing Interfaces by Jenifer Tidwell ($32.97)
• Designing the Obvious by Robert Hoekman Jr. ($29.19)
• The Little UX That Went a Long Way by Dan Willis ($12.95)