Byrd – Shipping on demand
When Shipping Becomes as Simple as Taking a Photo - or - What Is a Post Office?
Role
UX Designer
Industry
Shiping service
Duration
4 months
When three founders in Vienna approached me, they had a bold idea:
What if sending a parcel could be as easy as snapping a photo?
The Concept
A mobile app that allows users to photograph the item they want to send, simply. A courier picks it up, packages it, and ships it – fully insured, with no need for a post office, just like that.
How the Business Model Works
Byrd’s model is as simple as it is smart:
Customers pay the same shipping fee they would typically pay at the post office; the byrd service (pickup, packaging, and shipping) is included.
Because byrd handles shipping in bulk, its costs stay way below standard shipping rates. The margin in between? That’s where byrd makes a profit, without the customer ever paying more.
When three founders in Vienna approached me, they had a bold idea:
What if sending a parcel could be as easy as snapping a photo?
The Concept
A mobile app that allows users to photograph the item they want to send, simply. A courier picks it up, packages it, and ships it – fully insured, with no need for a post office, just like that.
How the Business Model Works
Byrd’s model is as simple as it is smart:
Customers pay the same shipping fee they would typically pay at the post office; the byrd service (pickup, packaging, and shipping) is included.
Because byrd handles shipping in bulk, its costs stay way below standard shipping rates. The margin in between? That’s where byrd makes a profit, without the customer ever paying more.
My Role
I joined the team in its earliest stage, acting as a hybrid between UX strategist and visual designer. Together, we built the foundations:
A consistent visual identity with a playful yet trustworthy tone
Infographics explaining the business model in seconds
App prototypes for both senders and couriers
Confirming Pickup
Tracking processing
Alpha test - in the streets of Vienna
We gathered our friends from our competitive rowing days - they spread out in Vienna, acting as the "byrdies", the pickup couriers. Others were located in various flats in Vienna, where they placed orders, which the byrdies received as tasks. Then, those two parties met.
We tracked every interaction. We tested workflows in a makeshift headquarters. We dealt with crashes and edge cases. But most of all, we learned what worked — and what didn’t.
 |  |
 |  |
Alpha test - in the streets of Vienna
We gathered our friends from our competitive rowing days - they spread out in Vienna, acting as the "byrdies", the pickup couriers. Others were located in various flats in Vienna, where they placed orders, which the byrdies received as tasks. Then, those two parties met.
We tracked every interaction. We tested workflows in a makeshift headquarters. We dealt with crashes and edge cases. But most of all, we learned what worked — and what didn’t.
| |
| |
What Happened Next
Byrd eventually pivoted from private shipments to an intelligent logistics platform for SMEs. The flashy app became a streamlined desktop dashboard. The startup relocated its headquarters to Berlin.
But the groundwork stayed. The clarity of purpose, the early test insights, and the brand's confidence — all born in that first prototype.
10 years from now: Why It still matters
Byrd was my first dive into the startup world: investor pitch decks, elevator pitches, and fast prototypes.
Today, byrd getbyrd.com is thriving in Berlin — still flying with the logo and identity I created back then.
What Happened Next
Byrd eventually pivoted from private shipments to an intelligent logistics platform for SMEs. The flashy app became a streamlined desktop dashboard. The startup relocated its headquarters to Berlin.
But the groundwork stayed. The clarity of purpose, the early test insights, and the brand's confidence — all born in that first prototype.
10 years from now: Why It still matters
Byrd was my first dive into the startup world: investor pitch decks, elevator pitches, and fast prototypes.
Today, byrd getbyrd.com is thriving in Berlin — still flying with the logo and identity I created back then.