We had the distinct pleasure to interview award winning designer Igor Dydykin about their original and creative Birdhouse design work. Igor Dydykin is an award-winning product designer, that makes our world a better place with their original birdhouse works.
Igor Dydykin ("ID") answered Design Interview ("DI") questions about their award-winning work Domik Ptashki Birdhouse. Interview questions prepared by Frank Scott.
ID : Due to the monotonous lifestyle and lack of sustainable interaction with Nature, a person lives in a state of constant breakdown and internal dissatisfaction, which does not allow him to enjoy life to the fullest. It can be fixed by expanding borders of perception and gaining new experience of Human-Nature interaction. The birds that surround us everywhere give us the opportunity to get this experience, almost without leaving our usual living space.
ID : Create harmonious conditions for a comfortable life of birds next to humans. So that birds can nest, raise offspring and protect green spaces from pests.
ID : We would like to find a company that shares our attitude to nature, which would take up the production of the birdhouse.
ID : The project began in February 2019 and ended in December 2019.
ID : Using the principles of design thinking, the project team moved away from designing a traditional birdhouse. It was studied the ideal nesting places for birds in nature; searched for successful examples of artificial birdhouses; interviewed the ornithologist, PhD, senior researcher at Zhiguli Reserve Galina Lebedeva. Birdhouse samples were made for testing in the garden.
ID : Our design was made for Dydykin Studio and is not yet produced. We are ready to consider options for cooperation.
ID : Why birds? Birds protect the environment from insect pests; their singing gives a person pleasure, peace and beneficial effects on his mental health. The project of a birdhouse is an opportunity to create a useful neighborhood and try on the role of an ornithologist-researcher, observing and taking care of the birds.
ID : We learned about the many subtleties of choosing and working with wooden prototypes in the Neverov’s wood workshop
ID : Owners of private homes and parks in northern Europe and North America, those who love and care for nature.
ID : For some reason, many people think that if they live in a square house, then the birds should live in the same. We decided to change this mindset. The birdhouse is close to a natural hollow, and its round shape reduces the effects of rain, snow and wind. Due to the low center of gravity, the birdhouse can be firmly fixed between the branches without damaging the tree.
ID : Domik Ptashki is a Russian name, literally translated as - Birdhouse - the traditional name of an artificial bird residence.
ID : We started by exploring places where and how birds live in nature, and studied artificial analogues. At the concept stage, we drew a lot of hand-made sketches, made the first mock-ups of polystyrene and paper. When we found the key idea, we created it in 3D and prepared drawings for prototyping in a wooden workshop.
ID : We left the traditional forms of birdhouses and tried to create the most comfortable house for birds. At the same time, we tried to make it look attractive and convenient for a person to maintain.
ID : In our team worked: researcher Ludmila Sapalova, 3D-engineer Nikita Trofimenko, product photographer Anzelika Dydykina, nature photographer Vladimir Dydykin and model-maker Sergey Neverov who helped develop birdhouse manufacturing technology.
ID : The birdhouse must withstand climatic changes and temperature extremes from -30 to +30℃. Only correctly selected wood, manufacturing technology and protective coating can make it resistant to natural factors.
ID : We studied the ideal bird nesting sites in nature; looked for successful examples of artificial birdhouses; conducted interviews with an ornithologist, researched the materials suitable for the manufacture and tested protective coating.
ID : The main difficulty was to find a balance in the design. On the one hand, a product should be as close as possible to natural habitats of birds, it should be safe for the environment, do not have bright colors and smells. On the other hand, it must have a stable structure to withstand climatic changes and extreme temperatures from -30℃ to +30℃. Moreover, the design should be attractive and easy to maintain for people.
ID : Domik Ptashki participated in ADD AWARDS where took the second prize in product design nomination, and we decided to try our hand at a higher-level competition
ID : Thanks to this project, we met talented people in Russia, some of them became members of the project team. We decided to create a world-class product, for this we had to improve our communication and critical thinking skills to go beyond the usual understanding of things. We also improved the material base, Adobe CC and Fusion360.
ID : During consultations with an ornithologist, we were surprised at what subtleties to consider when designing and placing a birdhouse: the height of placement and the distance between the houses should be sufficient so that the birds do not quarrel with each other for food. It was necessary to strengthen the entrance to the nest to protect the chicks from predators and birds. Woodpeckers, magpies and crows can destroy it to get to the chicks or to take a birdhouse.
