About Us

We’re a small, geographically distributed team making Cuttle — a web-based design tool for digital cutting machines.

Why we’re making Cuttle

To build the tool we've always wanted for our own art and inventions

We're making Cuttle to scratch our own itch.

Cuttle began as Apparatus, a tool for drawing interactive diagrams. Toby and colleagues at Dynamicland realized its dynamic capabilities were also useful for lasercut design.

It evolved into the Cuttle Editor when Monique, Ryan, and Toby designed the Sun Seeds, sculptures assembled from interlocking pieces which we sold as kits on Indiegogo.

To create a backdoor into programming

The world needs more on-ramps from "user" to "developer".

The most creative programmers we know learned programming by tinkering in authoring tools like HyperCard or Flash, or using platforms focused on creative output like Processing.

We intend for people to start using Cuttle as a graphics design tool, then start combining built-in modifiers, then script their own modifiers — a smooth on-ramp from "user" to "developer".

To nurture and grow alongside the digital fabrication scene

We see it as essential to grow a community of learning alongside Cuttle.

We’re inspired by companies like Adafruit where learning resources are the seeds of their business.

To support independent inventors trying things out without asking permission

The world needs to be making more objects that would never make it through the mass manufacturing ecosystem.

At Dynamicland, the laser cutter was essential for making custom sensor and projector mounts to quickly try ideas. At Otherlab, the research lab where Ryan worked, they would "use the laser cutter like a hot glue gun" in the words of their founder, Saul Griffith.

We love that lasers and other cutting machines let you hold your design in your hands in minutes. We want Cuttle to help fuel a rapid iteration workflow with these tools.