My Favorite Client Gifts from Web and Brand Designers to Their Clients

May 16

(There are affiliate links in this post! They might give me something at absolutely no cost to you. I personally have ordered and used every single one of these items.)

Tips for Choosing Client Gifts as a Designer

Add getting your client’s mailing address into your project flow! They will often put a business address in the contract, but I always ask for a mailing address under the guise of “adding you to my Christmas card list.” While this is absolutely true, it’s also so I can send a special surprise.
How large was the project cost? Send gifts appropriate to the package. If it was your largest, most high-end package with all the add-ons, a curated gift box does well. If it was a design day or small mini package, perhaps a thoughtful card or a pack of stickers.
Be conscious of your client’s brand values and interests. Are they sustainable, Vegan, passionate about women-owned or BIPOC businesses? Do they have a dog? Do they like candles? Check that the gift you’re sending aligns with what they support. (In a gift box, stationary and pens are always a good idea!)
In my opinion, it’s hard to send food or skincare. It’s hard to tell if someone will love a chocolate bar, or if they’ll worry about the sugar or potential gluten. There’s nothing worse than not being able to actually use a gift! It’s the same with skincare. I personally have very sensitive skin, so while I love face masks or even a lotion, I’d be cautious about gifting things that not everyone would like.

Gifts I Send for Smaller Packages / Design Days

For these, I don’t go crazy. Gifts add a lot of work and cost to a project, so I keep these pretty light. Don’t forget, clients aren’t necessarily paying for a gift: they’re paying to have a beautiful or design created by you. A gift says “I appreciate you, I thought of you, thank you!” as an extra sentiment.

Gifts also just happen to be my love language so I truly enjoy sending them out.

Here’s the roundup of gifts I send for a smaller package or a design day:

A Starbucks Gift Card

Yup, for my Design Days, I send out a Starbucks gift card (via EMAIL! It’s so easy!) the morning of the day so that my client can grab a coffee, tea, or treat to put them in an awesome mood for our design day. If you work with local clients, you might also consider a local coffee shop or gift shop that you can partner with. A nice gift card is an excellent way to get a “thank you” sentiment across. I usually aim for $15-$20!

A Handwritten Letter + Blank Postcard with My Branding from Moo.com

I got a beautiful pack of gold embossed postcards from Moo.com. I also got a blank pack of notecards from Vistaprint. I write on the blank notecards, and I give them a fresh postcard to send if they want! Then I fill that envelope with Let’s Go Studio branded stickers. Speaking of stickers…

Custom Stickers from StickerMule

It’s no secret that I love StickerMule. They’re fast, they’re easy, they run a weekly deal, and they have great customer service. The quality of stickers is also excellent! I put a lot of them on my water bottles which have gone through the wash many times, with no wear and tear! I highly recommend their custom stickers or any other type of stickers.

It’s extremely easy to upload a client logo you just designed as a die-cut sticker and then send it straight to them! Nothing is more exciting than getting to hold your logo in your hands for the first time.

When I emailed them about sustainability, they got back to me personally, and said: “As far as sustainability goes, the liner and adhesive used in all of our products are all eco-friendly and our inks do not contain any Nickel or Fluorine compounds (PFOS and PFOA). Our poly mailers, packaging tape, and labels are all fully recyclable, and all of our products are manufactured in the USA. :)” That’s a win!

Gifts I Send for Large Packages / Full Experience

These are the gifts I send for clients who have truly trusted in Let’s Go Studio and invested in the whole deal: Brand, Website, and Canva Design (and sometimes a Newsletter, too!)

Curated Gift Boxes from BoxFox*

This is my first go-to because BoxFox lets you choose things by COLOR! This way, I can choose things that match my client’s brands so they can start to use their brand colors in fun ways. It’s so easy to pull together a kit that looks great, is somewhat branded, and really tailored to your client’s needs.

BoxFox is also a bit more stationary-focused, which I find makes a better client gift than, say, chocolate. They DO have tons of chocolate and consumables, but if you read my note above, I always feel it’s a bit safer to find things like stationary, candles, or a neutral gift so you’re not assuming someone’s dietary preferences.

I don’t use these, but there are a few other box subscription options:

HappyBox
Find something on Etsy
Get a subscription from Cratejoy

Custom Apparel from Printful*

Taking it a notch above stickers, you can also get your client’s branding on an item of apparel you think they’d love. I use Printful (which you can see in my shop) and I absolutely love it. They’re good quality and have an eco-friendly line. Though it’s hard for your gift to be a “surprise” if you ask for their sizing, it’s an awesome gift especially if they hadn’t thought about it themselves.

Here are a few apparel ideas that DON’T involve having to ask for a size:

Scrunchies with your brand pattern (a massive fave of mine!)
Embroidered caps
Tote bags
Aprons
Beanies

Ultimately, client gifts are not required, but they are a nice token of appreciation. Whether it’s sending a simple card, some branded stickers, or going all-out with a gift box, these recommendations are exactly what Let’s Go Studio uses to show client appreciation!