My Easter egg
My Easter egg had a bright yellow canary inside.
Let me explain.
March 2024
Maybe I am the last person in the world to spot this little yellow canary on his perch?
The canary is called Birdie® and is an indoor climate monitor.
In the old days, coalminers would bring a caged canary with them into the mine to be alerted to the risk of toxic gases. When the bird dropped off its perch, it was time to hurry up to the surface.
With a built-in CO2-sensor that monitors the CO2 level in the room where you put it, Birdie has a somewhat similar function. If the CO2 level exceeds the internationally recommended limit, the bird drops and hangs with its head down, signalling that it is time to open a window. Once the air quality in the room returns to an acceptable level, the bird rights itself, and you can close the windows again.
I first spotted the bird in a shop in Aarhus a couple of weeks ago. Next, back in Copenhagen, I visited a friend who had acquired a Birdie, and finally, last week, I saw that one had moved in with my daughter. In the meantime, I had signed up for more information on Instagram and was greeted by a ‘thanks for checking in with us, here at the birdhouse’, a telling tone for the inclusive style that the two owners, Andreas Kofoed Sørensen and Hans Høite Augustenborg, bring to their design, fundraising, mandatory name change and now marketing of a product that is sold on several continents and lauded by international magazines, such as Monocle and Wallpaper.
I know people, including some that I have the highest respect for, who tell me that occasionally, they go down a rabbit hole on social media and end up spending hours watching dog or cat videos. That is completely beyond my comprehension.
On the other hand, I do currently enjoy watching Birdie’s marketing videos.
After I had been following Birdie for a few days, a canary landed in my house.
I am not a fan of the type of craft analogy that makes references to tools and toolboxes in virtually any context, including some that have nothing to with crafts – but in this case, the analogy is apt. Birdie is an example of industrial design at its best, and above all, the entire branding and marketing universe that has been developed around Birdie® shows real talent and passion, originality and a well-equipped toolbox.
See for yourself (at the risk of getting hooked):
Follow @birdie.scandinavia
and, not least, one of the owners, Art Director Hans Høite Augustenborg, @klodshans
Birdie® is available online and from a wide range of brick-and-mortar shops
About fresh air:
Birdie measures the CO2 level in the room every 10 minutes. If the level exceeds 1,000 ppm (parts per million), it begins to check the air every 5 minutes. After 30 minutes, it returns to the original 10-minute intervals.
Once the CO2 level has dropped back down to a standard level (800 ppm), the bird switches off for the next two hours. It does so to save on power, as it is very unlikely that the CO2 level could exceed recommended standards within this timespan.
Fresh air and ventilation raise the level of oxygen indoors.
That improves your concentration and productivity as well as your sleep.
Fresh air and ventilation help prevent headaches, asthma and allergies.
Birdie® is:
(2023) Winner of Scandinavian Innovation Awards (Product Design)
(2023) 4 x nominations @ Creative Circle Awards
(2023) Webby’s Awards Honoree (website design)
(2022) SLUSH’D — Winner of Best Startup Pitch (Prize Money: €2000)
(2022) D&AD — Side Hustle Winner
(2022) International Architecture & Design Awards — Product Design (Platinum)
(2022) Red Dot Design Award — Young Professional Finalist
(2022) Danish Creative Industries — Most Promising Company (Prize Money: €7000)
(2022) A’ DESIGN AWARD — Product Design
(2022) Design Educates Award — Product Design
(2022) Beyond Beta Awards — ‘most helpful founder team’
(2022) TRENDWATCHING — ‘Innovation of the day’
(2022) Awwwards — ‘Site of the Day’
(2022) FWA — ‘Site of the Day’
I mit påskeæg var der en knald-gul kanariefugl.
Lad mig forklare.
Måske er jeg den sidste, som ikke havde fået øje på den lille gule kanariefugl på sin pind?
Fuglen hedder Birdie® og er en indeklimamåler.
I gamle dage tog minearbejderne kanariefugle i bur med sig ned i kulminen for at blive påmindet om giftige gasser. Når fuglen besvimede, var det høje tid til at komme op af minen.
Med en indbygget CO2-sensor som kan måle CO-2 niveau i det rum som luftmåleren befinder sig i, fungerer Birdie lidt på samme måde – hvis CO-2 niveauet er over den internationalt anbefalede grænse, vil fuglen vende nedad og hænge med hovedet, og dermed signalere at der skal lufts ud. Når luftkvaliteten i rummet igen er ok, vil fuglen vende tilbage i oprejst position og vinduerne kan lukkes.
Jeg så den først i en butik i Århus for et par uger siden, tilbage i København besøgte jeg en veninde hvor Birdie var flyttet ind og for at krone værket, så jeg i sidste uge, at den var ny beboer hos min datter. Selv havde jeg da allerede meldt mig for at få mere information på Instagram og blev mødt af et ”tak for at følge med her i fuglehuset”, en ret sigende velkomst for den inkluderende stil de to virksomhedsejere Andreas Kofoed Sørensen og Hans Høite Augustenborg har lagt til grund for både design, fundraising, en ufrivillig navneændring og nu markedsføring af et produkt, som sælges på tværs af kontinenterne, som er mange gange prisbelønnet, og som hyldes af internationale tidsskrifter som Monocle og Wallpaper.
(2023) Winner of Scandinavian Innovation Awards (Product Design)
(2023) 4 x nominations @ Creative Circle Awards
(2023) Webby’s Awards Honoree (website design)
(2022) SLUSH’D — Winner of Best Startup Pitch (premie €2000)
(2022) D&AD — Side Hustle Winner
(2022) International Architecture & Design Awards — Product Design (Platinum)
(2022) Red Dot Design Award — Young Professional Finalist
(2022) Danish Creative Industries — Most Promising Company (premie €7000)
(2022) A’ DESIGN AWARD — Product Design
(2022) Design Educates Award — Product Design
(2022) Beyond Beta Awards — ‘most helpful founder team’
(2022) TRENDWATCHING — ‘Innovation of the day’
(2022) Awwwards — ‘Site of the Day’
(2022) FWA — ‘Site of the Day’
Jeg møder mennesker, endda mennesker som jeg har stor respekt for, som fortæller at de falder i huller på sociale medier hvor de i timevis kan se hunde-eller kattevideoer. Det er helt uden for min forståelsesramme.
Derimod har jeg for øjeblikket stor fornøjelse af markedsføringsvideoer udgivet af Birdie.
Da jeg havde fulgt med et par dage, landede der en kanariefugl her hos mig.
Jeg bryder mig ikke meget om den type håndværkeranalogi, hvor man i snart sagt i alle sammenhænge taler om at udnytte sin værktøjskasse, hvad enten der er tale om udøvelsen af et håndværk eller ej – men her er den på plads. Birdie er et eksempel på industrielt design når det er bedst, frem for alt er hele det univers som er bygget op omkring branding og markedsføring af Birdie® virkelig talentfuldt og bygger på både ægte passion, originalitet og en veludstyret værktøjskasse.
Se selv: (med risiko for at blive hængende)
Du skal følge @birdie.scandinavia
Og ikke mindst den ene af ejerne, Art director Hans Høite Augustenborg på @klodshans
Birdie® kan købes online og i en lang række butikker.
Om frisk luft:
Birdie måler CO-2 niveauet i rummet hver 10. minut. Hvis CO-2 niveauet i rummet har oversteget 1000 ppm, vil den begynde at måle luften hver 5. minut den første halve time, og derefter igen hvert 10. minut.
Når CO-2 niveauet igen er under gældende standarder (800 ppm), vil fuglen slukke i en periode af 2 timer. Det gør den for at spare energi. Det vil, indenfor denne tidsperiode, være meget usandsynligt at CO-2 niveauet ville kunne nå at overskride de gældende standarder.
At lufte ud forbedre luftkvaliteten inden døre.
Hvilket betyder at din koncentration og produktivitet forbedres og at din søvn bliver bedre
Udluftning forebygger hovedpine, astma og allergier.
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