The Best Office Products & Resources We Bought For Our Design Business
One of the best parts of starting a design business is the insanely low overhead costs.
When we started our brand and web design studio, Foxtrot Branding, our costs were probably under $100/month!
But, as we grew, our monthly costs and business investments did grow as we leveled up.
We know first-hand how important it is to make wise investments in your business, so we’re going to share everything that helps our design business run smoothly, from laptops, to coffee warmers, to high-end courses.
This list includes affiliate links to some products that we may make a commission from.
Cassidy’s Web Design Office Supplies
2021 Apple 16.2" MacBook Pro with M1 Pro Chip
4 years into our business, Cassidy finally upgraded her 2015 MacBook to this powerhouse. It was a big investment, but well worth it for the 32 GB of RAM.
SAMSUNG T350 Monitors
Cassidy uses 2 of these monitors connected to her Macbook.
Dual Monitor Stand
Cassidy has this brand of single monitor stands, but the dual is cheaper and probably takes up less room.
HDMI Cables for monitors
You’ll need some HDMI’s to connect any monitors to your computer.
Hub,USB-C Laptop Docking Station
With a newer mac, you’ll likely want a multi-port adapter for all your HDMI’s and USB’s.
Thunderbolt to USB Adapter
Cassidy used to use this to connect her HDMI for her monitor while keeping 1 USB port available on her 2015 MacBook.
Samsung External 1TB SS hard Drive
This is where Cassidy keeps all client files. This guy is speedy and more drop-proof than a mechanical hard drive.
Apple Magic Mouse
Cassidy has an older version of this mouse and it works pretty well. Not the fastest tracking though, you could probably find a cheaper mouse that’s better.
UPLIFt standing desk
This is a great standing desk and has great depth for fitting multiple monitors.
Hyken Technical Mesh Task Chair
This chair isn’t exactly “aesthetic,” but is incredibly comfortable and supportive for the price. The headrest is removable.
Yeti Blue Mic
A great entry-level mic for improving your video recording audio quality. A huge step up from using your headphones mic.
Computer video call Light
This is super helpful if you’re room has low lighting or is backlit.
Apple Airpods Pro
Cassidy pretty much wears these all day long- note that the mic audio quality isn’t the greatest.
HP Smart Printer
This is a great investment printer that is small and looks super sleek.
Coffee Warmer
If you drink hot coffee or tea, you’ll love this.
Amanda’s Graphic Design Office Supplies
Logo Package - Adobe Illustrator Extension
An AMAZING and affordable extension every designer needs to help you package all your clients’ final logo files extremely fast, and in all the file types they’ll need in their deliverables!
2019 Apple MacBook Pro 16”
A great laptop for running lots of design programs if you’re looking to invest, but not buy the newest Macbook.
Samsung 24" FHD Flat Monitor
The secondary screen Amanda uses in addition to her laptop.
Laptop stand/Computer Riser
A riser to keep Amanda’s laptop and monitor at the same height. Really helps with posture when sitting at your desk!
USB-C to Lightening Adapter
An adapter to connect lightening cords to newer apple laptops.
Multiport USB-C Adapter
A really helpful dongle for newer Apple laptops.
Apple Ipad Air 4th Gen 64 Gb
Amanda loves her iPad for custom illustrations.
Apple Pencil (2nd Gen)
Pairs with the iPad for illustration.
Wacom Wireless Drawing Tablet
This is the tablet Amanda used before she got her iPad. You’ll really enjoy some type of drawing pad if you offer custom illustrations, and this one is pretty affordable!
Toshiba 1TB External Hard Drive
A less expensive alternative to a Solid State hard drive.
Gold Metal Mouse Pad
A sleek, aesthetic mouse pad.
Faux Leather Office Desk Chair
Amanda has this super cute and affordable chair in brown.
Yeti Blue Mic
A great entry-level mic for improving your video recording audio quality. A huge step up from using your headphones mic.
Under Desk Treadmill
A foldable walking pad with an optional handle bar.
Picture Ledge Shelf
A sleek, white, floating shelf for a cute photo ledge.
Educational Investments: Books
Building a StoryBrand
This book greatly opened our eyes to many marketing principles and helped us craft a very strong brand strategy philosophy. It’s a must-read for new designers in our opinion!
Brand Brilliance
A beautiful book by branding expert Fiona Humberstone that will help you elevate your brand and enchant your audience.
How to style your brand
Another Fiona Humberstone book that covers everything you need to know to create a distinctive brand identity.
Educational Investments: Courses
Amplify Shopify
This is THE course for learning Shopify. Morgan covers everything!
The Brand and Packaging Design Course
An amazing course to help you learn about designing for eCommerce and product-based brands.
The Digital Course Academy
Amy Porterfield is the go-to course creation educator. If you can afford the investment, her course creation course is great!
