I don’t have many mementos to show for my 5 years on Google’s Search team. When we launched Kennedy, Google’s first design system, the ‘women’s cut’ t-shirt was a baby doll style that bared my belly button. It was an embarrassment. I never wore the shirt and eventually donated it to my local Goodwill. From then on I asked for a Men’s Large every time I was offered a t-shirt and now my husband has a larger collection of Google shirts than I do.
Being excluded from the most basic form of swag made me feel like I wasn’t really a part of the team. It was a small thing, but it hurt every time I saw a colleague in a shirt that I earned, but now that I’m a manager, I can ensure that my team’s swag is inclusive and that we can all be a part of the celebration.
Customizable inclusive swag
- Backpacks from Timbuktu
- Stickers
- Turkish towels
- Pencil pouches
- Notebooks
- Blankets
- Lapel pins
- Badge holders
- Monogram mugs
- Water bottles or mugs from Corkcicle or MiiR
- Nike shoes (yes, they’re customizable)
- Pennants from Oxford Pennant
- Socks
- Cable organizers (see them on Etsy)
- Coozies
- Cutting boards
- Hats (cozy beanie, baseball cap)
- Vinyl decals
- Kitchen towels
- Custom post-it notes
- Sleep masks
- Phone cases with their favorite places (see Etsy)
- Wooden spoons
- Dopp kits
- Bunting (see Etsy)
- Desk name plates (Etsy again)
- Coasters
Off-the-shelf inclusive swag
- Plants (How to do office plants)
- Pencil pouches
- Lapel pins
- Monogram mugs
- Bamboo reusable coffee cups from Ekobo
- Portable phone chargers (I’ve been using this myCharge charger for 2 years!)
- Headphones
- Socks
- Cable organizers (see them on Etsy)
- Notebooks
- Pens
- Packing cubes (great for a research team that travels)
- Bluetooth speaker
- Monogram stationery
- Face masks
