Calendar 2020: The best wall and desktop calendars for creatives

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It's January. This means it's time to google 'calendar 2020' with the intention of overhauling your organisational habits for the new year. Well, we've saved you the trouble of researching the wealth of systems to choose from by listing the best options right here. 

Maybe a standard wall calendar is enough for you? If so, we've found the most design-conscious options for your home or office. If you want something with more features, we've got you covered with our pick of the best wall and desk planners. Or, you could combine more than one option to make a super-system that's sure to see you smashing deadlines and going home without a head full of tasks. 

Keep reading for a roundup of the calendars available for you this year. And while you're overhauling your work habits, why not give your portfolio a refresh? Check out our portfolio examples post for some inspiration.

01. V&A – May Morris Wall Calendar 2020 

• Price: £9.99
• Buy here

The V&A do a beautiful line of calendars that include striking designs perfect for the wall of a creative. May Morris, daughter of William Morris, was a noted embroiderer, designer, jeweller and editor. This calendar focuses on her wallpaper designs, wall hangings and embroidery, featuring 12 stunning pieces.

Not only aesthetically pleasing, this calendar has a well-organised format with large boxes, clear labelling and a handy previous/next month view. If May Morris isn't quite right for you, check out the V&A's Kimono Silks or Arts & Crafts calendars.

02. Boxclever Everyday Desk Calendar 2020

• Price: £9.99
• Buy here

This desk calendar is compact enough to stay on your desk without taking up valuable workspace, but is still packed with useful features. It's month-to-view and has two handy notes sections as well as large boxes and a previous/next month view. But our favourite part is the super-useful 'To Do' flip page section – one for each month, with a tick box for each line.

03. Stendig Wall Calendar

• Price: $54.99
• Buy here

The Stendig calendar is chosen purely as a design statement. Lacking handy features but big on iconic style, the Stendig calendar is a modernist design classic and the only calendar in the collection of MoMA. We recommend using it in conjunction with a desk planner if you want to actually remember anything besides the date.

04. Blueline 2020 DoodlePlan Monthly Colouring Desk Pad Calendar

• Price: $10.59
• Buy here

This month-to-view desk tear-off desk pad is perfect for creative doodlers. Each page is adorned with black and white botanical designs you can colour in which is great for improving concentration and reducing anxiety. The paper is heavyweight so the the colour won't bleed through, and the back is reinforced so the calendar feels sturdy.

It has a yearly calendar at the bottom of each sheet and roomy squares for each day. The calendar comes in three sizes and is made from 50 per cent recycled paper.

05. Busy B Desktop Calendar 2020

• Price: £8.99
• Buy here

The Busy B desk calendar has a clear layout, bright design and space to add in notes, but best of all it has a pocket to stash all those little bits of paper that clutter up your desk and end up getting lost. Think bills, tickets and invites. It stands handily on your desk, taking up little space.

06. John Lewis & Partners Perpetual Calendar

• Price: £30
• Buy here

This perpetual calendar is another style piece that'll look seriously good on your desk. It's made using ash wood (known for its density) and features a line per day, date and month. Use it with a weekly planner.

07. Studio Henki – Spectrum 2020 Wall Planner

• Price: £9.99
• Buy here

This vibrant planner is A2 size and is great for viewing your entire year at a glance. Its vertical layout is cleverly formatted so its easier to scan the months than other yearly planners we've looked at, and the shape and size means it'll fit into any wall space you have available. We suggest using it in conjunction with coloured stickers if you want to really nail the organisation of different parts of your life. Studio Henki have a range of other designs if Spectrum isn't to your taste.

08. Desktop Weekly Planner Notepad 

• Price: £12.99
• Buy here

We think that this tear-off planner is one of the best ways of organising your week. It is undated (there's a space to write the date) and has a week-to-view format that means you can expunge the contents of your brain into the different categories and have everything you need right in front of you. The sections on the sheet include lined columns for each day (with lots of space to scribble notes), a 'To Do' box, and even a doodle section. The ice cream design may not be up your street but there are plenty of alternatives out there.

09. teNeues Jack Vettriano Square Calendar 2020

• Price: £10
• Buy here

With this calendar, you can display 12 works of art by one of the finest Scottish contemporary artists, Jack Vettriano. The striking images sit atop a calendar grid complete with public holidays, and in the bottom-right hand corner there is that all-important space for notes. If you like the calendar design but would prefer a different artist, teNeues also produces a Gustav Klimt calendar (among others).

10. Boxclever Press Family Home Planner 2020 Wall Calendar

• Price: £9.99
• Buy here

This may be a family calendar but, with a little repurposing, it's perfect for creatives with many projects on the go. Its month-to-view pages include six columns that come unlabelled so you can head them up with any particular labels you might need to utilise that month (for example, different companies you might be working for, or specific project headers). There's also a notes section at the bottom of each month and a roomy pocket for bits and pieces.

Read more:

• The top design trends for 2020
• 10 top illustration trends
• The best art books for 2020

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