Aniya Alston | ID 105 | 2020

The tri-bird feeder

The ideation and creation of a window bird feeder. While keeping aesthetic in mind, I intend to create a source food for birds and source of leisure for the consumer.

investigation & Research

Defining the problem and collecting sufficient information to elucidate the problem.

D,

Brainstorming

Creating designs in connection to my reasearch and analyzing them.

Developing concepts

Turning designs into a feasible product.

final concept

Refined images of the final piece.

Investigation & Research

Being restricted to online school, I got the chance to notice the nature surrounding my house. Unlike other houses in the neighborhood, I have the forest as my back yard. With this comes a plethora of birds surrounding the tree which are close to my room window. In order to keep the local birds out of the gutters of above my window, I wanted to make a bird feeder and give them a source of food. The highlighted areas is common places the birds spend there time at around my house.

This is the tree directly out side my window.
This is the gutter above bedroom window.
Previous
Next

Then I began to research bird life in North Carolina and the common birds I continue to see are House Finches, Song Sparrows, Northern Cardinals, and Pine Warblers. With birds as my primary user, I need to know what they are attracted to, so I began to make brainstorm charts for what birds like. I did this process of researching the birds first to better understand my primary user, then I went onto research what the birdfeeder provides for birds. As I began to transition into the brainstorming phase, I took note of the experience, the appearance, objective, and its features.

Brainstorming

With this big amount of information to take in, I split information I wanted to showcase into four headings. The notes on the left contain the headings experience, appearance, objective, and features. The notes on the right contain a Venn diagram labeled the user’s needs, feasibility, and viability. This process of jotting down notes that are geared towards factors I want to develop helps me keep my thoughts broad. Instead of thinking about what I want to do, I kept in mind flaws other users saw in birdfeeders they currently have.

Concept 1

Resembling a true container. Tunnels located in the back to ensure more capacity and more visibility of the seeds to the birds.

Developing Concepts

Concept 2

A thick attachment base that allows different types of attachments to the feeder. Each attachment resembles the different types of bird feeders.

Using concept 2, I created multiple shapes that could be used as a base. The dashed lines would be probable places that it dividers could be. Doing this showed me how much potential some shapes had versus others. The octagon and hexagon were interesting shapes to use that were aesthetically pleasing to a consumer.

Final concept

Small open tray holding bird food.
Attachment is on the side that will orientate which it goes on. Carries the smallest amount of bird food.
Resembling the nyjer feeder.
Holds a bigger amount of bird food. Would be produced with a stop cap to the circle to stop food from flowing out the circle.
Dual use tray
The tray can be served as a small birdbath or a bird food tray.
Octagon base to the bird feeder.
Carries the suctions cup and will be the thickest glass to carry the weight of multiple bird feeders.
How it works.
There is rectangle attachments on the side of each replaceable piece that is able to slide through the slots on the bird feeder base. Its located on the back of the pieces to ensure that they won't slide until remove by the owner.

Final Thoughts

I projected this out to be something that’s customizable for the customer. As if seeing the ordering process, they get to choose what attachments they want and could buy more, accordingly. I would like to actually be able to make this piece but the inconvenience of the virus has me not to be at school. I wish to draw more of this concept and learn how to efficiently draw glass.