We’re all aware that employee happiness is in direct ratio to productivity, and a little recognition can certainly go a long way in motivating everyone to give their 100%. For some, a simple thank you might suffice at the end of the day, while the shyer ones might prefer a subtle compliment. It can be concluded that it all boils down to the sincerity attached to your appreciative note.

Many employers fear that such signs of appreciation might lead to talk about favouritism, jealousy and thus create unhealthy competition in the office, but the following are some ideas that, if carried out in a fair and consistent manner, can help avoid this problem:

- Make positive statements when your employee does a good job. Highlight which qualities they exhibited and were worthy of praise.

- Saying thank you can make the world of difference, as does saying please, and is also polite. Showing your employees respect is a given that some employers understandably tend to forget.

- Engage them in light conversation and get to know their interests. Even if this might be time-consuming, even a few minutes spent showing genuine interest in someone endears them to you more.

-  Present them with a gift, one that is practical and increases the sense of camaraderie among co-workers. Items such as diaries, planners and T-Shirts are all popular items.

The benefits of appreciation are nothing new, and it always pays to tell someone you are thankful for their efforts. The same theory applies to clients as well, and letting them know they are in your thoughts boosts goodwill. These subtle details add to their positive experience with you, and knowing that you spared the time and effort to send a gift their way adds that personal touch that gives you an edge over competitors.

So, with Christmas round the corner, why not get started by rewarding your staff or calling in on your clients with a gift? We have a whole range of fully customisable gifts suitable for all occasions.

Trophies & Plaques Have a member of staff who’s served diligently for the past 10 years? Show that you recognise their hard work and loyalty with a plaque.

Wallets and Watches For a premium gift, why not consider presenting your staff with a timepiece? We have a range for all budgets, and engraving your company’s logo is possible as well.

Mugs and Glasses Give your best performing employee a pat on the back, and a mug they’d be proud to flaunt.

Gift Basket The gift of choice for clients and employees alike, these come bundled with practical, useful items or food that the recipient will have no trouble putting to good use.

Gold Cuvee
22 Carat Edible Gold Flakes Wine

Ever wondered what sort of gifts to give during special occasions? Hampers, cakes, flowers and etc. are passe. Look what we have here. Gold Cuvee. A brut wine-based drink produced in the golden city of Mainz in
Germany. It is made from the finest Pinot Blanc grapes that have been carefully
cultivated in one of the major wine-producing regions along Rhine River. Suspended in this distinctive champagne, with its 12.5% alcohol content, are small flakes of 22 carat gold, giving it a sparklling, celebratory  appearance.

Email to us for enquiries at daniel@design-gifts.com, angela@design-gifts.com

An annual festival with its roots in Germany, Oktoberfest brings people together from late September to Mid October for 18 days. Already in its 200th year, copious amounts of alcohol is consumed, and the festival has spread to numerous parts of the world, including Singapore.

Be part of the festival celebrated by millions around the world. Make your Oktoberfest experience authentic by hosting your own beer drinking competition. The following are some items you might want to consider when hosting this event:

Beer Keg: There’s no better way to keep your beer ice cold than with a good old beer keg. These aluminium barrels come with their own tap, and ensure that your grog stays cold even in the hottest weather.

Beer Steins and Yard Glasses: Traditionally, ale is drunk from a Yard; an elongated glass with a rounded bottom. It is usually a yard long, hence the name, and can hold about 1.4litres, depending on the diameter. These are used in beer drinking competitions.

Apparel: What better way to thank people for coming to your event than with a shirt or lanyard to show they were in attendance?

Trophies: Reward your champs with a prize to remember their momentuous triumph over the rest.

Visit http://www.design-gifts.com/ for more ideas.

Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso & Leonardo Da Vinci all have something in common. They painted some of the world’s famous master pieces. When you think of ól Leo the one thing that comes to your mind is most probably Mona Lisa or The Last Supper. How can one’s painting depicts this huge phenomenon that even after so many years it is still being appreciated by people all around the world.

In actual fact, paintings are seen in many places; homes, offices, hospitals, hotels, lounges, clinics, etc. It is everywhere, even at the most commonest places. Paintings can beautify the area or give inspirations, motivation or even for fengshui purposes. With careful selection of the type of paintings, frames and lightings, it creates different ambience required for the purpose.

Have you ever thought that paintings can also be used as GIFTS? Design ‘n’ Gifts has given it the first twist, breaking the norm. Why do we_stick to the usual, predictable gifts? If you have the budget, paintings is something you can consider as a gift. Especially for professionals, they would probably have received many gifts. With our team of expertise, we will help you choose the right type of pictures and the right type of style that is most suitable for the events or recipients. It will be the most talk about and graded the most appreciated gift.

To make it more personal, be it an anniversary or a parting gift for your CEO, we highly recommend an oil painted portrait. It will bring back memories and it will be so personal, that the recipient will not discard or keep in the drawer.

We work with different artists, specialise in different type of paintings so that our clients will be able to select any type of paintings. Contact us to find out more. If you decide painting is not your choice, we have 22 carat gold flakes wine and other gifts selections too.

Baby Boomers and Generation X will probably be able to appreciate our government better. As for Generation Y, being a more pampered and protected generation and more vocal, and less knowledge of what our government has done for us in the past, it takes more efforts to instill the sense of belonging and gratitude in them. I was especially disappointed in one of the “The Noose” epsiode, “We are Singaporeans” section. Many do not know our first prime minister is MM Lee Kuan Yew. The main man, well respected by many and well known in the world, our younger generation could not get this question correct. Dr Goh Keng Swee is another remarkable man of Singapore. Little was known of him till after his death. Dr Goh and MM Lee are a perfect team in making Singapore today. The full Singapore story should be taught in school as early as primary and in detailed again in secondary school. The key men that made today’s Singapore should be told to the students so they will appreciate Singapore. Documentaries can also be shown on TV for the public to remind them the work done by PAP. It will be too late to tell the goodness of a person only after his death.

I look forward to National Day parade each year. The feeling is beyond words that can describe. If you get a chance to be there live, you will understand what I mean. Each year, the NDP committee strive to make it better than the year before. The goody bag has also become a challenge each year. There are many items and usually such items are preferably practical for the actual event use and/or after event. Gifts can be unique even if it is a common item. The design plays a very important role. A simple bag can look stylish by the colour and design. A cap can be different by choosing the right material, colour, shape and style. Boxes can be made fun too by the items inside and the usage. Most important of all, the gifts given should be taken into considerations the type of event, the objective, the profile of the recipients. This way, the item given out will be more meaningful and appreciated. Gifts should never be given for the sake of giving. Ideas and designs should be practical too.

I find this year’s NDP bag creative in design but the size is not practical. All primary 5 students are given the chance to attend the NDP, however this bag is not practical for them as it is too big and long. They can’t make full use of it. It will be too big for their tuition worksheets and books, too small as a school bag. For the adults, it is not quite a size that can be carried around too. If this is made into a shopping bag size, I think it will be more practical for the students and adults as they can use it during weekend. 2 years ago, the idea of the bag is also good. It is eco-friendly. However, the size, material and design makes it look so much like a “paper bag” that you do not see it being carried around. The most well received bags are the document bag style. I must say, 3 years ago, that design is fantastic. It allows the combination of different panels to allow the user to create their own identity bag.

Gifts, just like clothes, will be different by careful thoughts into the choosing of the material, design and packaging to fit the objective of the event and making sure it is suitable for the recipients. These are the services we provide to help our clients create the lasting impression when gifts are presented to their clients with the right image and branding.

Wish to add a little sparkle to your dull and mundane life? Here comes … the new fibre optic lamp that is sure to dazzle you with their changing multi colored lights.

Imagine sleeping under thousands of stars, when you switch the lamp on or when you are trying to create a romantic mood for an occasion.
Its definitely safer than lighting up candles around the house !

Fibre optic lamp also makes great home decoration. Try it out as a beautiful centrepiece for that special dinner party or simply giving it to someone as a gift, I’m sure they would love it. Its something unique and innovative.
In my opinion, the fibre optic light trumps the lava lamp anytime. Since it gives the illusion of something so magical and mysterious. It will surely enchant you.

One of the great advantage of fibre optic lighting is that the fibres and/or end fittings can be permanently sealed in place,
without having to worry about access to change bulbs. And since its battery operated, you need not worry about electricity bills!

So what are you waiting for? Order one of these lamps today and create your very own imaginary stars.

Ever wish about how you could reuse the takeaway cups that Starbucks or Coffee Beans give each time you buy your coffee? Imagine to my surprise when I found out that it is possible to own one exactly like it, I for one would really love to own one of those.

The only difference is that instead of it being in a paper cup, it is made from porcelain. They even have a name for it “ Don’t throw your cup!” Its eco friendly and it has a double-walled porcelain construction which insulate hot or cold beverages. Sounds too good to be true isn’t it? But it is true!

Gone are the days where you need to keep throwing out all your coffee paper cups that accumulates on your desk, I mean come on, working professionals or anyone working 9-6 should know that we consumed tons of coffee each day. A quick caffeine fix is like heaven sent.

With this new cup, you could keep reusing it over and over again without worrying if you are unknowingly and slowly destroying Mother Nature by using all the paper cups. Since paper are made from trees and there’s campaigns about Saving Gaia. By using this cup you are also Saving Gaia! How cool is that?

It comes in a variety of colors for both the lids and the cups. You can even customised it to your own taste. So what are you waiting for? Order one of these cups today, and do your bit to SAVE Mother Nature Today !!

In reality, corporate gifts are like any other gifts except that we customized and cater to corporate businesses. For an example, it’s your dad’s birthday; you get for him a laptop bag, whereas for corporate business, instead of just buying one bag we may sell it in hundreds or thousands. A gift that carries a company’s logo, tagline or message. We can even customize it to fit our client’s preference. To make it THE gift.

Corporate gifts or business gifts as some may call it, is one way businesses use to attract potential customers or even to present it to current employees. Presenting a gift is now considered another way of saying thanks to clients, as a reminder, as a promotion just to name a few.

Regardless of the gift, be it expensive or a token sum, it is important to take note that quality is always of utmost importance. We at Design ‘n’ Gifts Pte Ltd always uphold our image as The Company that delivers in both quality and perfection.
In short there’s nothing that we can’t do to meet the needs of out clients. Tell us what you need, and we try our best to deliver. In fact, we will deliver!

For some interesting and practical gifts ideas, see you in our next blog entry soon!

Dear Angela,

This is what I call excellent service, items were received at 9am sharp.
Just want you to know that I really appreciate your prompt service.  It was
"mad rush" this morning but at least we made it all at the final minute!
Thank goodness!

cheers!
Elaine

In Singapore, we have recycle bins to encourage recycling and weekly recycling items for cash.  However, there is still a group of people whom we have neglected.  We still find people not recycling their everyday used bottles just because the bins are not right at their door steps and throwing them straight into the bins is the fastest and most convenient.  Recycle items for cash; that is a brilliant idea.  However, this only cater to those people staying around the collection spots for the weekly scheduled Sundays and for someone who has a car and bothers to drive the recycled items there.  Otherwise, we are still missing out a whole lot of people whom can make the difference.

When I was young, my mother used to bring the used bleaching bottle when she needs a new bottle to get a 50 cents refund, a biscuit tin when we buy a new tin of biscuits for a $1 refund.  In fact, these are great and effortless ways.    We should get all retail shops, supermarkets, departmental stores to be involved in such activities.  The shampoo and shower gel bottles, the facial wash and toothpaste tubes, cosmetics bottles, consumer food products’ tins, containers, bottles, etc.  If we can bring along during our next grocery trip or replenishment of our cosmetics essentials  in exchange for immediate discounts or vouchers, I am sure Singaporeans do not mind bringing the empty bottles and tubes.  You will be surprised the number of bottles/tubes we can collect in a month and the effect on a daily basis by each individual.  Most importantly, we need full support from all brands and products to make it work.