Yiro is a bird feeder designed to encourage a more thoughtful relationship between people, birds and their shared environment. The project explores how a simple everyday object can respond to the needs of both humans and birds while co-existing with nature.
The design considers the experience from three perspectives. For humans, Yiro is designed to be easy to store, clean and maintain, allowing the feeder to become a functional object within the home or outdoor environment. For birds, the design provides access to basic needs such as food, water and shelter while avoiding unnecessary visual obstructions. Its form and patterning draw inspiration from nature, creating an object that feels intuitive within the birds’ environment.
The concept developed through an iterative process of sketches, conceptual models, prototypes and technical drawings. Throughout the process, the team explored how functionality, shelter and sustainability could come together in a single object rather than treating the bird feeder as simply a container for food. The resulting design also considers the feeder as an artefact - something that can become part of the human environment while supporting interaction with the natural world.
Through Yiro, the project investigates how design can create small opportunities for coexistence between humans and other species. The process also introduced the team to hands-on fabrication techniques including 3D modelling, laser cutting and woodworking.
