Made by PoD: The Ultimate Gift Guide

Products of Design Gift Guide

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Products of Design Gift Guide 〰️

chessboard with circular game pieces in blue and white and orange and blue. the chessboard is white and pink

Browse all of Panisa’s latest products here.

Geo Stacking Coasters
Geo Pattern Dominoes
2-in-1 Chess & Checkers Set
Honeycomb Stacking Jewelry Boxes
Panisa Khunprasert ‘16

Defined by their vivid colors, bold graphics, and playful geometries, Panisa’s four MoMA Design Store products make for perfect gifts. Her set of six silicone stacking coasters—a MoMA favorite—feature varying geometric faceted edges, while her Honeycomb Stacking Boxes are inspired by the natural geometry created by bees. If your giftee enjoys games, consider her geo pattern dominoes, featuring compositions inspired by Cubist art and Abstract Modernism, or her fabulous dual-sided chess and checkers set.


Giancarlo Cipri’s Perpetual Sliding Calendar in black, white and red

Perpetual Sliding Calendar
Giancarlo Cipri ‘22

Made with recycled acrylic, Giancarlo Cipri’s Perpetual Sliding Calendar can be mounted on the wall or displayed standing up. Simply slide the red circles along the pathway to track each day of the week, month, and date.

Giancarlo’s been dreaming about having his very own MoMA product for years—as a kid growing up in New York, he visited the MoMA Design Store at least once a month with his parents. The tradition has persisted; every trip to Soho must, without question, include a stop to browse the latest displays. Take a peek into Giancarlo’s design process in this interview on the PoD Blog.


Silver objects designed by Heath Wagoner

Earthly Delights: Silver 2024 Collection
Heath Wagoner ‘15

Decadence is Served: That’s the tagline for Heath’s newest collection of hand-made objects forged in precious metals.

Heath’s latest pieces, designed to serve and adorn, include these Silver Dessert Spoons, Sterling Silver Egg Set, and Silver Cutlery (all three pictured above). If you’re looking to add some finer things to your kitchen or cocktails, you’re in just the right place. All items are handmade in Heath’s Brooklyn studio.


MoMA De Stijl Tumbling Tower
Monica Albornoz ‘23

At Monica’s very first MoMA prep meeting, faculty member Sinclair Smith specifically said to avoid designing anything in a Mondrian style. But over spring break, a Jenga tower concept began to take shape, and for Monica, it felt like making a Mondrian painting come to life. The MoMA Design Store couldn’t agree more.

As the MoMA product description puts it, the Tumbling Tower “brings the aesthetics of the De Stijl movement—with its bright primary colors and geometric shapes—to life in 3D form. Think of it as an interactive Mondrian painting.”

MoMA De Stijl Tumbling TowerMonica Albornoz

Roller Coasters features curvy indentations that provide grip while mimicking the classic maze game.

Roller Coasters - Set of 4
Hui Zheng ‘20

Hui’s set of four Roller Coasters features curvy indentations that provide grip while mimicking the classic maze game. As condensation forms on your beverage glass, it drips down into the coaster’s groove, creating water-droplet formations that double as the steel balls from the original game.

The colors of this set are a gradation of the color blue, evoking the different hues of water around the world. Hui was inspired by the preciousness and scarcity of water; the coaster game provides a way to contemplate and appreciate this vital, everyday resource.


LOST OBJECTS
Rob Walker, Faculty

NYT columnist Rob Walker’s newest book, written together with Joshua Glenn, is a truly perfect gift. LOST OBJECTS: 50 Stories About the Things We Miss and Why They Matter, brings together 50 true stories from a dazzling roster of writers, artists, thinkers, and storytellers, including Lucy Sante, Geoff Manaugh, Paola Antonelli, and many more. Each story, accompanied by its own beautiful illustration, spins a unique personal narrative that dives into the meaning that objects present to us emotionally, even after they have physically disappeared.

We have all lost something that was meaningful—and that we’ll never forget. While we may never recover it, Lost Objects will teach us something new about why it mattered in the first place, and matters still.


LEGO DUPLO: My First Puppy & Kitten &LEGO Mindstorms: Robot Inventor box

LEGO DUPLO: My First Puppy & Kitten &
LEGO Mindstorms: Robot Inventor
Louis Elwood-Leach ‘18

Louis has been working on the teams behind several LEGO products.The buildable kitten and puppy make sounds that help kids learn about animal vocals. Perfect for toddlers 1+!

The Robot Inventor is the latest iteration of the greatest toy of all time—which also happens to be the toy that swayed 10 year-old Louis to become a designer. It lets you build and code your very own robots (Louis even got to voice one of the robot’s BEEP-BOOPS!!). The Mindstorms franchise sadly took its final bow this year at the age of 25 (RIP), so this is a limited, last-chance product. Perfect for kids 10+ and you.

LEGO DUPLO: My First Puppy & Kitten &LEGO Mindstorms: Robot Inventor kit

Berk Ilhan’s Mürror with peach and white frame

Mürror
Berk Ilhan ‘15
40% discount!

A true product of Products of Design, Berk Ilhan’s Mürror—“the mirror that only opens with your magical smile”—was developed for his PoD graduate thesis, Uplift: Happiness & Communication in the Context of Cancer.

The Mürror encourages tapping into joy and magic in the everyday. Its smile-activated technology means that the mirror only reflects when you smile, bringing an unexpected and delightful level of interactivity.

Berk has created a special discount code for the PoD community: enter the code “PoD2024” on the purchase screen for your 40% discount.


LED Sewing Kit by Becky Stern; image of the electronic components found inside the kit

LED Sewing Kit
Becky Stern, Faculty

Becky designed this to be the best kit for anyone interested in starting out with soft circuits and wearable electronics.

The beginner kit is perfect for adding LEDs to your plush toy, fashion accessory, embroidery, and more using basic hand stitching with conductive thread. It contains enough materials for two projects (with two LEDs each) or one project with four LEDs.

You can check out her YouTube tutorials for project inspo—such as light-up zodiac signs or LED shoe clips.


Aurora Lamps
Richard Clarkson ‘14

Richard Clarkson Studio’s latest Aurora Collection is mesmerizing. He describes Aurora as “a story of a celestial voyage: inspired by NASA satellite footage, to create a collection that captures the feeling of flying through space and witnessing an aurora australis from above dancing on the surface of the Earth.”

The Aurora Collection includes sconces, pendants, tabletop lamps, with both single-color (C1) or dual-color (C2) options in the natural aurora colors of green, blue, and fuchsia.


Model wearing high waist pant, designed and sewn in NYC,  has a cropped wide leg, side pockets, and handmade ceramic cord ends.

Everyday Pant
Lucy Knops ‘15

Lucy is the Founder of Lucy Park and the Co-Founder of Trouble Makers Inc. Her Everyday Pant traces back to her thesis project, The Void: Finding Value in Nothing, during which she wore the same uniform of clothing for 228 days—addressing the fact that, as a culture, we spend far too much time, resources, and cognitive energy on producing, advertising, buying and choosing what we wear.

This high waist pant, designed and sewn in NYC, has a cropped wide leg, side pockets, and handmade ceramic cord ends.


Infographic about Renewables.org, explaining how the project works

Renewables.org: Invest in Solar
Lassor Feasley ‘18

In minutes, purchase solar panels where they do the most good—and starting on Thanksgiving Day, you can do so as a gift card. Founded by alum Lassor Feasley, Renewables.org is the non-profit that lets you invest in solar projects in the regions that need it most.

How it works:

  • Buy a panel on Renewables.org for $25.

  • Funds are invested in solar projects in places such as India and Botswana.

  • You get repaid monthly, over five years.

  • It’s not a donation—you get all of your money back in 5 years. 


Fenestra Bookends - Set of 4
Eugenia Ramos Alonso ’19

Is there anyone in your life who wouldn’t benefit from this beautiful set of bookends? We think not.

This set of four Fenestra Bookends, developed as part of PoD’s MoMA partnership, adds bold pops of color to your bookshelf, desk or mantelpiece. They stack to form beautiful, modern compositions, and when nested together, evoke a window looking out upon a natural landscape.


Multi-ccino Mug by Josh Corn

Multi-ccino Mug
Josh Corn ‘17

It’s time to get the coffee lovers in your life “The Mug That Makes Everyone a Barista”—as described byThe New York Times.

This elegant borosilicate glass mug not only holds coffee, but teaches coffee drinkers how to whip up their own espresso, macchiato, cortado, caffé au lait, Americano, flat white, or cappuccino. Depending on your desired drink, the mug indicates the right proportions for espresso, milk and water.

If your giftee is already the ultimate coffee aficionado, then consider this the most aesthetically pleasing, multi-purpose cheat sheet in the biz.


Playing cards with neon king figures in red, purple and green by Adam Fujita

Adam Fu Playing Cards
Adam Fujita ‘16; Faculty

Every one of the cards in this standard deck was designed by Adam Fu, who has been painting graffiti and street art for almost 25 years.

In addition to the card deck, you can also check out his other available products, including his Scrapyard x Adam Fu Sticker Pack, End Hate poster, and Please Stay on the Grass silk-screen print.


Bookcover of 59 Times, In Paris: Part One: Upon Waking by Sam Potts

59 Times, In Paris: Part One: Upon Waking
Sam Potts, Faculty

This short, explorative work of fiction, by designer and author Sam Potts, tells the tale of a single morning in Paris, when several different men awake to their obligations.

Each wakes to a different burden, some with resignation, some with dread. Among them: a sidewalk engineer, a milliner, two physicists, a bandoneon player, and a sedimentologist.

Curious? As are we.


kit designed by Ayse Birsel including Lullaby Love Room & Pillow Spray DIY Kit, Empathy Slippers, Optimism Glass, Playful Rabbit, and Sleep on It Eye Mask.

Makesy x Ayse Birsel Design the Life You Love Kit
Ayse Birsel, Faculty Emeritus

Design the Life You Love: A Step-by-Step Guide to Building a Meaningful Future is an interactive journal by award-winning designer and author Ayse Birsel. This delightful kit encompasses key elements from the book, and includes a Lullaby Love Room & Pillow Spray DIY Kit, Empathy Slippers, Optimism Glass, Playful Rabbit, and Sleep on It Eye Mask.

Design the Life You Love is all about recognizing the inevitable constraints on your life, and then being creative about what you want and what you need to find joy. Needless to say, Ayse draws upon several creative principles and processes from her world of design.


Fold-by-Number Cloth Napkins
Julia Lindpaintner ‘17

Inspired by Julia’s memories of family gatherings, during which her grandmother would show the kids how to fold their own napkins, this set of six sparks creativity and play while encouraging a return to reusable cloth napkins.

Each of the napkins, which measure 20 inches square, has built-in instructions by way of faint dotted lines. Guaranteed to make your next family meal more lively and interactive.


book cover of Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness,

Joyful
Ingrid Fetell Lee, Faculty Emeritus

In her book Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness, Ingrid explores how the mundane spaces and objects we interact with every day have surprising and powerful effects on our mood. Described by Arianna Huffington as “an inexhaustible and exciting guide to what makes life good,” and by Adam Grant as a “blockbuster debut,” Joyful reveals how we can harness the power of our surroundings to tap into more joyful modes of being.


Krithi’s newest album, “Coping Mechanisms"

Coping Mechanisms - Digital Album
Krithi Rao, Faculty

Krithi’s newest album, “Coping Mechanisms,” is a captivating sonic exploration of how she communes with the shadows of depression. Each track is a heartfelt testament to her journey, an artistic expression of the healing power of music.

From Dubstep to Dembow and Kuthu to Kuduro, Krithi seamlessly blends a variety of genres and has crafted a mesmerizing soundscape that allows listeners to commiserate and find solace within each track. The EP’s six songs take listeners on an emotional rollercoaster that traverses the spectrum of human experience.

You can pre-order the digital album and get one track now; the full album will be released in January.


Two book covers by Abby Covert, one reading "STUCK?" and the other "HOW TO MAKE SENSE OF ANY MESS"

Stuck? Diagrams Help.
& How to Make Sense of Any Mess
Abby Covert, Faculty

Abby is on a mission to make sensemaking skills available to everyone. As an author, teacher and community leader in the field of information architecture (IA), she works on supporting those feeling stuck on messes made of information and people.

How to Make Sense of Any Mess demystifies information architecture into a practical skill set that anyone can apply to any context, while Stuck? Diagrams Help. is a field guide for the trek from diagram novice to diagram nerd.


Book cover showing the Healing Magic of Forest Bathing by Julia Plevin Oliansky

The Healing Magic of Forest Bathing
Julia Plevin Oliansky ‘15

Julia’s book, The Healing Magic of Forest Bathing, is a guide to connecting to nature as a way to heal yourself, your community, and the planet.

Through simple invitations to slow down, walk in silence, cultivate tree energy, and connect with the sun and forest, this book enables you to incorporate the inspiring benefits of time spent in nature—a calm mind, renewed energy, boosted creativity—into your daily life. Deepak Chopra called it, “an inviting work that will assuage even the busiest minds,” and Dr. Qing Li called it, “a must-read for anyone feeling disconnected from nature and life.”

Julia is also the founder of The Forest Bathing Club, which designs bespoke transformational experiences in nature for leaders, organizations, and corporations.


Interested in learning more about our Products of Design MFA? Check out more from our blog, below.

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New MoMA Product: An Interview with Designer-Alum Monica Albornoz

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Making Studio at the 2023 NYC Halloween Parade!