We’re here today to explore the subtle, magical art of giving a great gift. As a company that dreams up new objects with this thoughtful gesture in mind, we wanted to share a few thoughts on what we think of as the fundamentals for bestowing a present that makes an impact.

The first key is the endless search. When you’re moving through the world, it’s fun to keep an eye out for amazing gifts. Often we go out in search of a gift for a specific person, but it can be much easier to first identify a wonderful gift, and then search your mental rolodex for the perfect person to share it with. Perhaps you stumble upon a beautiful mechanical puzzle, you’re enchanted by its form, and you realize that your architect friend has a shelf behind their desk of similarly captivating objects. They’re certain to be moved that you choose something with such intention.

Another key element is careful listening. There is no more magical gift-receiving experience than when someone has heard you mention something you love, filed it away, and then produced it out of thin air when you least expect it. Our friends and loved ones plant seeds all the time, revealing their wants and desires, and we can easily satisfy these wishes by maintaining the presence of mind to take note. If you’re particularly organized, create a spreadsheet and whenever anyone mentions something offhand that is noteworthy, write it down and file it away for later. Perhaps your colleague voices frustration about their oversized, messy key-carrying situation, and you know just the perfect item to help them simplify and elevate. 

Finally, our favorite, number one tip for impactful gifting is off-calendar spontaneity. We are all conditioned to share gifts with our loved ones on birthdays, holidays, or other major life moments. But the biggest surprises come when the recipient is least expecting it. Establishing a rhythm of giving gifts randomly is the ultimate magic trick in this realm. 

By combining the ongoing search for amazing gifts, the presence of mind to listen and catalog what people might love to receive, and then sharing gifts with your special people at unexpected moments, you will be widely regarded as having superpowers. You will feel amazing, and you will make the people around you feel amazing. It requires a bit of planning, thought, and upkeep, but it is a truly blissful way of announcing your love, care, and thought for the people around you who make life special.