The ‘Cut Once’ Ruler Brings Kickstarter to the Classroom
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The age-old expression “measure twice, cut once” used by carpenters—and the inspiration behind a new project from materious, a.k.a. husband/wife design duo Bruce and Stephanie Tharp (Bruce has contributed to these very pages). Introducing “Cut Once,” the designer-friendly ruler that’s catered to making measurements quick, multi-functional and easy on the eyes. But what’s as interesting as the product and design is how they’re using Kickstarter not only to raise money but also to explore crowdfunding as a phenomenon in itself.
Not only does the measuring stick double as a holder for your favorite writing pen or pencil, but it also serves as an educational tool. Bruce is integrating this Kickstarter endeavor into the syllabus of an entrepreneurial industrial design course he is teaching—with help from Kickstarter rockstars like Scott Wilson & MNML of TikTok/Lunatik fame—at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Each student is required to submit a project to the crowdfunding site and have it approved. Thus, “Cut Once” serves as a case study for the course, one in which the teacher is learning right alongside the students. Bruce tells us more about the class and the creative process behind Cut Once:
Core77: Tell me more about Cut Once’s form. How does the molded shape play into the design’s story?
Bruce Tharp: We began with the idea of molding—if not actual wooden material, but at least the aesthetic. We wanted to make sure and reference that while it spoke to the idea of molding, it needed to function. In spending a lot of time reviewing molding profiles in books and online, it became clear that Chair Rail moldings (the kind that attach to walls to prevent chairs’ backs from damaging the walls) were the right general form. So we modeled our profile on those, but allowed the right width, enough room for the pen/pencil, and allowed it to be used to mark lines effectively. The fact that it forms a recessed edge so that ink is not pulled under the ruler by the capillary action, was a happy accident.
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