Vector Scissors by Tamás Fekete
The name Vector Scissors comes from a very deep reference. One of the unique features of Vector Scissors is that the cutting line is only limited by the size of the table. For example, a paper guillotine is limited by the size of its own length. This feature will remind you the difference between pixel and vector graphical image editing softwares. Let us take a look on how Tamás Fekete designed this project. Enjoy!
The early concept of Vector scissors was the end result of my first year project at the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design where I studied at the faculty of product design. Our task was to design new scissors concept with our own design perspectives. I was focusing on accurate paper cutting. After I finished with my concept I uploaded it online which generated a huge traffic. Many editors from different media contacted me and a lot of people were interested in buying and using Vector Scissors which was actually a very pleasant surprise. Everyone was very positive about it therefore we decided to continue the work and try our best to make Vector become a real product. It turned out that It was harder than we thought. There were a lot of ergonomic issues with the handle that needed to be fixed to make it usable and comfortable. After I realized the problems that needed to be fixed I started working on to develop a satisfying handle for different hand sizes.
- Tamás Fekete
Based on my own experiences as a common scissors user I was always bothered by the fact that if I wanted to cut a straight line I always had to use multiple tools like a ruler and a pencil to pre-mark the cutting line. A guillotine cutter is good for this but as soon as I needed a perfect straight line on a larger piece of paper like an A2, it was useless. I felt like there must be an easier way and a solution to make a new type of scissors that I could use for cutting curves and small details but also when its necessary, long straight lines without using anything else just the objects around me. This problem led me to develop Vector.
- Tamás Fekete
I think maybe the biggest inspiration came from the working method of the paper guillotine. It has a flat surface and a blade as big as the surface's edge which acts just like a pair of scissors. Vector Scissors is basically very similar to that. The tabletop acts like the flat surface of the paper guillotine and Vector is the cutting object. The difference is that you can use Vector for cutting curves too.
- Tamás Fekete
There were a lot of challenges with this design. First of all the blade and handle arrangement is different from regular pair of scissors because I had to find a sliver line between two different usages: Being able to use it as a regular pair of scissors and being able to slide the scissors on the side of the table while cutting a piece of paper. This required a lot of form compromises. The other big challenge was to make the handles ergonomic. This was extremely difficult and time consuming to do without experience in this field but after a lot of trial and error and learning it turned out really well. One thing I can really conclude is that scissors are way more complicated objects than most people think at first sight. Moreover, to get to the current design, it took me about 40 different models and prototypes to reach a satisfying result.
- Tamás Fekete
About Tamás Fekete
Tamás Fekete lives in Budapest, Hungary. He graduated this year as a product designer from the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design. He is currently looking for internship opportunities to continue his studies and get experience in the field of industrial and product design. He loves to get new experiences and meet with different people from different cultures as he thinks it is very inspiring for him and helps him to get new ideas for his works. You can find more of his works on his Behance profile or website.
OMG I gotta get a pair of these. Very interesting to read about your design challenges