Buying a gift for someone who writes software is difficult. They have strong opinions about keyboards. They chose their own monitor after reading forty reviews. Anything technical you might buy, they have already bought, or decided against for reasons they will explain at length.
So don't buy them technology. Buy something for the place where they use it. A programmer spends eight or more hours a day at a desk, looking at a screen and, when they look up, at a wall. Most have put a great deal of thought into the equipment and very little into the surroundings. That is the gap a gift can fill.
What makes a good gift for a developer
- It is useful every day. They value function.
- It doesn't require them to change their setup. Don't replace a thing they chose. Add something they don't have.
- It suits long hours. Calm, comfortable and easy on the eyes.
- It doesn't have a coding joke printed on it. They have seen them all.
A desk mat: the safest choice
If you buy one thing, buy this. A full-size desk mat sits under the keyboard and mouse. It quiets a mechanical keyboard, gives the mouse a consistent surface, softens the desk edge under the wrists and protects the desk. It takes thirty seconds to set up and changes nothing about how they work. Our largest is 31.5 × 15.5 inches, at about $40.
Designs that suit a developer's desk:
- The Data Cube: blocks of blue and teal in a glitch pattern on black. It looks like data, and it suits a dark-theme workstation.
- Cyber Wave Escape: a teal wireframe grid running to the horizon. Retro computer graphics, done well.
- Cyberpunk Slick Street: a night street, mostly black. It hides marks and stays out of the way.
- Blue Mountain Fog: a calm, pale landscape, for someone who wants their desk to be a quiet place.
Check their keyboard first. A full-size keyboard needs the largest mat. A compact one fits the medium. See the desk mat size guide.
Art for the wall behind the monitor
This is the gift with the most effect. The wall a programmer faces is usually blank, and it is where their eyes go every time they stop to think.
- Choose something with depth. A view that reads as far away rests eyes that have been focused two feet in front of them.
- Choose canvas or a matte print. Glass behind a desk reflects the screen.
- Size it for the desk. About two-thirds of the desk's width.
Subjects that tend to suit:
- A cyberpunk city. The genre is a favourite among people who work in software. Cyberpunk Slick Street and Japanese City Punk FX.3 are both strong.
- Space. Black Hole, in silver on black, is minimal and scientific. Earth Glitched shows the planet with streaks of digital interference.
- Something calm. For a high-pressure job, a misty landscape may be the kindest thing to look up at. See what is lo-fi art.
Our guide to desk setups for developers explains what works on that wall and why.
A matched pair
A desk mat and a piece of wall art in related colours make a complete present, and they turn a functional desk into a place with some character. See five desk mat and wall art pairings.
Something to wear
Developers tend to live in T-shirts. A graphic tee with original art on it is a step up from the free conference shirt.
- Scanline Spaceman: an astronaut with a glitch effect.
- Earth Glitched: the planet, glitched.
Find out their size first. Tees are made to order and can't be exchanged.
Small gifts
- A keychain for a laptop bag, at about $15.
- Pins for a backpack or a lanyard, at about $6 each.
- The smallest desk mat, at about $21, for someone who works on a laptop with an external mouse.
Good for a team Secret Santa or a colleague's birthday. See Secret Santa gifts under $20.
By budget
Approximate prices at the time of writing.
- Under $20: a keychain or pins.
- $20 to $45: a desk mat, a tee or a poster.
- $45 to $100: a canvas or framed poster for the wall.
- $100 and up: a large canvas with a matching desk mat.
How to choose without asking
- Do they use a dark theme? Most do. Choose dark artwork.
- Is their desk lit in colour? Match it. Our guide to choosing a desk mat by colour scheme will help.
- Is their desk minimal and tidy? Choose something restrained: black and silver, or a calm landscape.
- Do they love science fiction? A city or a space piece.
- No idea? A dark desk mat. It is hard to get wrong.
What to avoid
- Anything that replaces a tool they picked themselves.
- Novelty items with programming jokes.
- Glossy framed pictures for the wall behind a screen.
- Very bright, busy art for the wall they face while concentrating.
Timing
Everything is made to order: 2 to 7 business days for production and 3 to 7 for US delivery. For the holidays, order by December 3. See holiday order deadlines. Browse the desk mats and canvas art collections.