Get a Free Haircut - Fashion Styling 2.0 - Crowd-Sourced Hairstyling

It's a dog-eat-dog world. Nothing comes for free in this world. So they say...but they clearly haven't been on the internet, where creative common licenses, knowledge sharing, yelp, and open sourced programs reign.

Web 2.0 seems to have a lot to share with life 1.0. This project is an attempt to show people that they should open up a bit and get out of their personal bubbles; there's no buddy list online. So get off your iphone, quit texting, and look around you, there may be a free haircut, and friends waiting.

How to get a free hair cut in San Francisco, short video:

Directors Cut

Step 1: Gather Your Materials:

For this instructable you won't need much:

1) A pair of haircutting scissors. I bought some nice ones from the corner store.
2) Some combs.
3) A printer and some paper.
4) Yarn.
5) Eye protection
6) A friendly smile.
7) Too much hair.

8) (optional) A friend to accompany you.

You should also make a sign so people understand what's going on... At least a little. I've attached my sign below, you could even use this if you'd like... Print it off and tape it to the floor near you. I put a limit on the number of snips people could take to allow more people a chance at my head.

Step 2: Sit on the Floor.

Once you've gathered all your materials and you've tied the scissors around your neck it's time to hit the road. Find a busy intersection in the nearest major city. I chose the Victoria's Secret near Union Square in San Francisco as it's a popular destination. Tape your sign to the floor and hold our your scissors as in picture 2.

You //will// need to be vocal about why you're sitting there with scissors around your neck. So have a script planned. For me it was, "Hey would you like to take two snips?" The fact that it was a limited number showed people that it was not a long term commitment, and the word snip did not imply immaculate haircut so more people were inclined to go for it.

Step 3: Troubleshooting

You're sitting on the ground getting cold and your hair is not getting any shorter:
You may need to prompt people by allowing your assistant/friend to take a few snips to show people that it's OK to mess with your head.

The Police come and ask you to get off the sidewalk:
Move over a ventilation grate.

Your hair is irregularly cut.
You need to be vocal about where people need to cut. Let them know that the front of your hair is still too long. Also you might need `to be cool with this bit.

Your haircut is patchy.
Wait, you'll probably come across a hairstylist.

The final haircut looks bad.
Wait.

Step 4: Let It Happen

Now that you know how to set everything up and how to solve problems should they arise, just sit back and enjoy your haircut.

If you find yourself in this picture stream. Please comment or write me. I'd love to hear about your experience. Thank you for cutting my hair!