33937471 – man surprising his girlfriend with a gift on the couch at home in the living room
During holiday season, who is the person on your list most difficult to shop for? As husband and wife and as a product design team, we each say it’s the other. Gift giving for the opposite sex takes a little creativity, but isn’t impossible.
Tom Says: For most men, gift giving for the women in their lives is like navigating a minefield because women’s preferences are very specific. For me, it’s even worse because my wife is a designer. Not only is she highly discerning because she’s female, she’s also highly critical from a design perspective.
I never buy unless it is the perfect solution for Tracy. If it is missing a feature or not in her favorite color, I won’t buy it. I also try to stay away from cliché gifts like clothing, perfume and jewelry unless they are truly unique. After many failed attempts at surprising Tracy, I have learned from past mistakes. Now I collect her hints throughout the year in a hidden notes section on my iPhone. One year, I took note of her comments on the artwork in a restaurant and went back later to find the artist and purchase one. Not only was it a real surprise to Tracy, but I earned major bonus points for listening.
Tracy Says: I set the bar very high when buying for my husband because it is really important to me to show him how much he is appreciated. My background in product research and design makes me lean to gifts that are personal, custom-made or limited edition. Adding to the difficulty, our routine scrutiny of retail products means very little is new, exciting, or something that Tom would not have already seen. After twenty-odd years of working with and gift giving to Tom, I have tremendous appreciation for how products are made and how to see things through a man’s eyes in a way another woman might not.
Luckily, there are always signs pointing to the perfect gift giving product. I make it a practice to read the clues in the same way that we approach product design — watching for usage patterns or even misuse. If I notice Tom making product modifications like taping his charging cables to his desk, wire management might spring to mind as the ideal gift. I also note things that he uses every day and try to find replacements that are more personal or customized to surprise him. Last year, after frustratingly watching Tom become addicted to Words with Friends, I came across a Scrabble letter key chain. It was a perfect replacement for one Tom carried that kept coming apart – not to mention proving my reluctant acceptance of his Words with Friends habit!
