Birdy
Design Research on Physical Messenger for the Digitally Disadvantaged
ORGANIZATION
UNIST
YEAR
2021 (1y)
ROLE
Lead Researcher
기여
70%
RESPONSIBILITIES
Research, Product Design, Prototyping, Project Management
WITH
NN Kim, HJ Yun (Research Assistant)
KEYWORDS
digital divide, assistive technology, inclusive design, IoT
PROBLEM
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In modern society, digital messengers have become a fast and efficient means of communication. By supporting the transmission of various media—such as text, images, and videos—they have expanded the ways people interact with each other. However, for users who are less familiar with digital environments, this convenience can often become a barrier.
Digitally marginalized groups—including the elderly, low-income individuals, and people with disabilities—face significant challenges when using messenger services due to complex UI structures, small buttons, and multi-layered menu navigation. As a result, they risk being isolated from family and society or face limited access to essential information.
This project aimed to improve the user experience of messenger services for digitally marginalized users, enabling more intuitive and accessible communication. In particular, it focused on reducing users’ cognitive load and enhancing accessibility to core functions through targeted design solutions.
APPROACH
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Birdy was designed as a dedicated device—not a smartphone—to help users with low digital literacy access messenger services more easily. As a physical medium that reflects diverse user characteristics and needs, Birdy aimed to create an environment where all users could intuitively communicate.
Birdy functions as a supplementary communication tool that complements the limitations of existing messenger apps and smartphones. To achieve this, the following steps were taken:
User Research: To identify the challenges faced by users with low digital literacy, the team conducted literature reviews, task analyses, and user interviews. Through this process, major obstacles and user needs were identified.
Product Design and Prototype Development: Based on the research findings, the team conceptualized a design that integrated analog elements and physical interactions. Early concepts were visualized to reflect users’ real-world needs.
Prototype Fabrication and Testing: Three working mockups were developed, and a three-week field test was conducted with six pairs of family users to evaluate the user experience in real-world environments.
Quantitative and Qualitative Data Analysis and Insight Derivation: Using the qualitative and quantitative data collected during the study, the team analyzed user behaviors and experiences to assess Birdy’s effectiveness and derive key insights.
BIRDY: Handwriting-Based Digital Messaging Device
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Birdy is a tabletop messaging device designed for elderly users to approach naturally. Based on handwriting input using paper and pen, it connects digital communication across generations into a more intuitive and familiar experience. Through a UX design that combines analog sensibility with digital efficiency, it offers a much more natural interaction than traditional text input methods.
Intuitive Interface to Reduce Cognitive Load : Birdy optimizes display size, button layout, and the LED feedback system by considering the cognitive characteristics of elderly users. To prevent information overload, it applies a dedicated display only for messaging and intuitively indicates sending and receiving statuses using diffused LED lighting through a translucent acrylic body.
Handwriting Digitization That Preserves Analog Sensibility : Users can write messages by hand on a 66mm paper card and send them digitally via Birdy. It preserves the texture and personality of handwriting while providing the convenience of digital messaging. Additionally, 20 types of emoji cards are offered to help users express emotions more easily.
Simple Operation and Natural User Experience : Birdy applies physical navigation buttons and a simplified interface design to ensure ease of use for all users. Received messages are displayed prominently on the screen, and LED feedback allows users to intuitively recognize the current device status, helping even those accustomed to analog environments quickly adapt.
IMPLEMENTATION
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Birdy was developed through the seamless integration of hardware, software, and product design.
Hardware Configuration and Physical Interaction: Birdy is composed of a display, scanner, microcontroller, LED lighting, IR sensors, a miniature linear motor, and a wide-angle camera. Users insert paper cards into a 66mm rounded-corner slot to send messages and navigate conversation history using physical buttons. The integrated storage compartment, made of translucent acrylic, holds paper, pens, and emoji books, and provides colorful visual feedback through LED lighting. The IR sensor and linear motor automatically detect and align inserted cards, while the wide-angle camera, combined with a ring-type LED, enables clear image capture even in narrow or dimly lit environments.
Software Development and Digital Conversion: Birdy’s software consists of modules responsible for message transmission, image processing, and display control. It transmits and receives messages via the Telegram API and post-processes scanned images using OpenCV. Additionally, it utilizes Google Teachable Machine to recognize handwritten text and emoji images, converting them into digital text and displaying them in an optimized format.
Product Design and Mockup Production: Detailed part modeling was carried out using Autodesk Fusion 360, and the final structural design was completed through iterative prototyping. Major components were produced using 3D printing, while the exterior casing was fabricated through CNC machining to ensure high quality. The entire structure was modularized to enhance maintainability and production efficiency.
IMPACT
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Birdy significantly improved digital communication engagement among elderly users through handwriting and paper-based interactions. Field testing showed meaningful improvements in communication frequency, diversity of conversation topics, emotional expression, and emotional bonding.
Approximately Tripled Digital Communication Engagement: Over a three-week testing period, elderly users in six family pairs exchanged an average of 21.5 messages per week, nearly tripling their communication frequency compared to before using Birdy. In the F1-GP case, weekly communication grew from 1–2 phone calls to 35 messages, helping establish a habit of everyday conversation.
Expansion of Conversation Topics Through Asynchronous Messaging: The asynchronous messaging system removed time and location constraints, allowing conversations to expand from simple greetings to daily stories, health updates, and family news. In the F3-P case, conversations evolved beyond brief check-ins like “Have you eaten?” to deeper topics such as a grandchild’s exam results and hobbies.
Handwritten Messages Enabling Richer Emotional Expression: Handwriting proved highly effective for conveying emotions and nuances. Seventy percent of participants reported that handwriting helped them better express their feelings. In the F2-GP case, users enriched their messages with flower drawings and variations in handwriting size, enhancing emotional delivery.
Strengthening Emotional Bonds Through Paper Messages: Paper messages lowered psychological barriers to digital communication and provided a familiar, comforting experience. Eighty-three percent of participants kept their paper messages, and in the F5-GP case, a grandparent stored handwritten notes from their grandchild in a drawer, maintaining an ongoing emotional connection.
Proposing a New Model for Communication: Birdy introduced a more intuitive and familiar communication method compared to traditional smartphone-based messaging apps, using paper and physical interactions as a medium. This approach effectively reduced complexity and entry barriers for elderly users unfamiliar with digital environments, helping expand real participation among digitally marginalized groups.
REFLECTION
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Can a Hardware Product Be More Than a Device—A Tool for Emotional Connection?
The Birdy project was my first experience covering every stage of delivering a hardware product to users. From product design and prototyping to user training and feedback collection, we faced the challenge of securing both the stability of an IoT device and a seamless user experience. Through numerous rounds of prototype testing and firmware optimization, I gained a deep understanding of how critical the organic integration of hardware and software is.
One of the most memorable moments was seeing that, after three weeks of testing, the average number of messages sent per week by elderly users had tripled. Thanks to the handwritten messaging and asynchronous communication features, conversations became richer, and 70% of participants reported that they could express their emotions more effectively. This data showed me that Birdy was not just a device, but a tool that deepened emotional connections between people.
Through this project, I experienced the entire product design process and learned the importance of user-centered design as well as how to harmonize technology with emotion. Birdy became a pivotal point in my UX career, helping me solidify my vision of creating designs that solve social problems through technology.