Given their singular purpose, youd think there arent that many ways to design a ruler. Excluding the squares, triangles, and protractors, you really cant go wrong with a long, rectangular stick. Still, there are quite a few variations in materials and colors, but most of them share one common trait: theyre pretty flat, literally. In fact, some are so thin and flat that theyre pretty difficult to lift from a table in one go.Thin, minimalist rulers are notorious for this kind of problem, and its even worse if theyre made of metal that could cut your skin if youre not careful. Fortunately, its actually not that hard to address that issue without losing any of the designs simplicity, as this Japanese design tries to prove, using inspiration from the unlikeliest of sources.Designer: Shinwa Measurement (Images courtesy of: Workshop Heaven, Taylor Toolworks)One of the most frustrating things in life is needing a ruler immediately but being thwarted by the inability to pick it up quickly. If you always find yourself in that situation, you might have developed some strategy like sliding the ruler off to the edge of the table to then pick it up. While it can be a habit-forming gesture, its more of a workaround for a broken design rather than a proper solution.That solution can be as simple as raising one end of the ruler ever so slightly, creating a tiny gap between that edge and the surface the ruler is on. Its similar to the design of skateboard decks that are entirely flat except at the edges, where they bend just a little. It doesnt take away from the rulers ultra-minimalist design and isnt even that noticeable, but it improves the tools usability significantly.When you need to pick up the ruler, all you have to do is press down on the raised end of the ruler and the angle that it makes becomes a fulcrum that lifts the rest of the ruler. Alternatively, you can also just wedge your finger between the gap to lift the ruler normally. Presuming, of course, you have fingertips small enough to fit there.Except for that small detail, the Shinwa Pick Up Stainless Steel rulers are pretty much the epitome of Japanese minimalist design, nothing more than a super thin metal stick with curved ends to give it a bit of an interesting shape. Its that one small detail, however, that could make a world of difference to users who will be saving time, effort, and frustration when picking up this common tool.The post Skateboard-inspired ruler has a simple fix for an age-old usability problem first appeared on Yanko Design.