The Energy of Mobility, Powered by People - BIRD by Parsons MS SDM

The Energy of Mobility

JIA YU | ALARA | MARYAM | NIMIT

MAY 9, 2025

Our Team

Jia Yu Liu

Design Strategist

Visual Designer

Bird Micromobility

Jamn

ALARA BOLUKTAS Design Strategist

Interior Designer

NIMIT Dadhania Design Strategist Architect

MARYAM ASHRAF Business & Design Strategist

Project Roadmap

Insights & Research

The Challenge

Bird Micromobility

Jamn

Opportunity

Current System

Ecosystem & Interventions

How Might We

New System

Finances

The Challenge Bird aims to expand sustainable urban mobility by developing a low-infrastructure, publicly-subsidized, station-based bike-share model for underserved neighborhoods.

The goal is to design a cost-effective, city-friendly, and user-delightful micromobility service.

Bird Micromobility

Jamn

Uncovering Insights

# of people we interviewed : 36

“It’s really hard to find a bike sometimes, especially in busy areas where they’re almost always taken.”

“I can’t always tell if the bike is charged or not, the app shows it’s available, but sometimes I pick one up and it’s basically dead.”

“I’m scared of cars and don’t know the directions most of the time.”

“In less busy areas, it’s hard to find corrals with enough bikes, usually the ones left are broken or not working properly.”

“It feels like a game trying to guess which bike is actually charged.”

“Riding in New York is dangerous.”

Bird Micromobility

Jamn

Research Paris banned shared e-scooters after a public referendum, following years of safety concerns, poor parking, and user behavior issues (Carey, 2024).

Interviews >60 People

Bird Micromobility

Jamn

European cities aim to cut high emission vehicles by 20%, using micromobility to reach climate targets (Freehafer, 2024)

Current System Cities &

Neighborhoods

E-Bike Redistribution

Warehouse

Phone Use While Riding Vans

& Gas

Users

Random Pick-up & Drop off Roadside Clutter

Changes Battery & Fixes

Fleet

Managers

Points of Intervention Cities &

Neighborhoods

E-Bike Redistribution

Warehouse

Phone Use While Riding Vans

& Gas

Users

Random Pick-up & Drop off Roadside Clutter

Fleet

Managers Changes Battery & Fixes

Current operational inefficiencies for Bird is offsetting the energy and environmental benefits gained from the e-bikes.

Bird Micromobility

Jamn

Opportunities to Innovate, Improve, & Grow

Build Trust:

Boost safety with transparent design, support , and visibility.

Bird Micromobility

Jamn

Optimize Operations:

Nudge users to streamline bike redistribution.

Elevate Experience:

Simplify battery info and make charging effortless for users with incentives.

How Might We... Partner with local businesses to create low-infrastructure parking hubs, gamify fleet management, and enhance community engagement in a micromobility system?

Bird Micromobility

Jamn

The Energy of Mobility

Bird Micromobility

Jamn

Our Ecosystem Energy Guided

by Behavior

Bird Micromobility

Jamn

Energy Guided by Behavior Projection-Based Parking Projectors help with parking guidance and, displays community art or games, making these areas more lively and engaging.

40-50%

Increase in correct parking behavior when visual aids were used (Chen et al., 2019)

Key Benefits Reduces parking violations and clutter in busy neighborhoods Increases visibility and foot traffic for small businesses Turns compliance into play through real-time visual guidance Strengthens community interaction at everyday urban touchpoints.

Bird Micromobility

Jamn

Meet Luis:

Luis, 26

Student

Goals: Commute to school, avoid fines, and park safely.

Pain Points: Unclear parking zones, frequent parking violations, strained relationship with local shopkeepers due to blocked storefronts.

Ends rides by parking on crowded sidewalks or in front of shop doors.

Gets penalized via Bird or yelled at by store owners.

Feels rushed and unsure where “correct” parking actually is.

Bird Micromobility

Jamn

Visual Aid for Parking

Bird Micromobility

Jamn

Tests : 26

Increases Community Engagement Ar Game Advertisements

Energy Guided by Behavior Fleet Management

A redesigned Bird app interface that encourages users to park in less crowded parking areas using in app incentives, like rewards, discounts, or leaderboards while still preserving freedom of choice.

76%

People said yes to riding 300 feet further to park at a less busier corral and vica versa.

Key Benefits Transforms users into micro-distributors, reducing Bird’s redistribution costs Improves bike availability across neighborhoods Makes the system more responsive, decentralized, and self-correcting Fosters a sense of ownership through small but meaningful actions.

Bird Micromobility

Jamn

Meet Amira: Amira, 30

Freelance Graphic Designer

Goals: Get from A to B with ease, enjoy perks and discounts.

Pain Points: Overcrowded parking areas, delayed rides due to limited availability, no control over where to park for impact. Struggles to find available spots to park her bike.

Often parks wherever’s convenient, unintentionally adds to congestion.

Doesn’t feel involved in the micromobility system beyond using it.

Bird Micromobility

Jamn

Park & Save Fleet Management

Bike Pickup Bird Micromobility

Jamn

Bike Drop off Tests : 21

Our Ecosystem Energy Shared Through Community Touchpoints

Bird Micromobility

Jamn

Energy Shared Through Community Touchpoints The Bird app guides users to nearby partner stores to swap depleted batteries through a vending system, earning ride credits, store discounts, or other perks.

63%

People said they would be willing to change the battery in an E-bike themselves if they were not in a rush.

Key Benefits Reduces Bird’s operational costs by crowdsourcing battery swaps Increases foot traffic and revenue for local businesses Fosters hyperlocal partnerships and builds neighborhood trust Creates a reciprocal system where energy and engagement flow between riders, businesses, and Bird.

Bird Micromobility

Jamn

Meet Maya:

Maya, 33

Public School Teacher

Goals: Commute efficiently, support local businesses, and rely on a functioning bike during her daily routine.

Pain Points: Encounters low-battery bikes during rush hour; often has to walk blocks to find a charged one; feels frustrated when her ride dies mid-journey.

Ends a long day of teaching, opens the app, and finds the nearest Bird.

Starts riding, only to realize the battery is nearly dead.

Gets stranded halfway home and has to walk or wait for another bike.

Bird Micromobility

Jamn

ChargeNest

Battery Vending Machine

$950M

TAM – All convenience stores + civic hubs within the U.S (Mallonee, 2023)

$345M

SAM – 401 cities in the U.S Micromobility friendly cities (U.S. Convenience Store Count, 2025)

$75M

SOM (5 yrs) –

Bird’s realistic rollout. Bird Micromobility

Jamn

Our Ecosystem Energy Contained in the Handlbar

Bird Micromobility

Jamn

Energy Contained in the Handlebar Our redesigned handlebar integrates a MagSafe phone dock that charges, secures, and unlocks the ride, turning the handlebar into a safety-focused, energy-efficient touchpoint.

40%

Bike riders use their phone while biking and at least half of them get into accidents 1 minute after their phone usage.

Key Benefits Riders follow directions safely without holding their phones Minimizes distractions and improves ride focus Docks your phone to start the ride, reinforcing safe behavior from the outset Energy stored in the vehicle enhances user experience directly at the touchpoint.

Bird Micromobility

Jamn

Meet Sofia: Sofia, 29

Interior Designer on Vacation from Spain

Goals: Explore the city independently, navigate easily, and capture moments on her phone.

Pain Points: Constantly checking her phone for directions while biking; fears dropping or losing it, worried about battery life during long sightseeing days. Struggles to navigate unfamiliar streets while riding.

Holds her phone one-handed or stops frequently to recheck maps.

Feels unsafe in traffic, especially near busy intersections.

Bird Micromobility

Jamn

Power & Safety in Your Hands

Magnetic + Automatic Charging Unlocking It's a frictionless, intuitive interaction that puts rider safety first and reduces screen dependency.

Bird Micromobility

Jamn

Tests : 27

How Does All of This Make Bird Better?

Bird Micromobility

Jamn

A New Energy Efficient System Safer & Better Cities &

Neighborhoods Navigation

Picks Up & Parks Bikes at Better Locations

Users Cleaner & Fun Curbsides

Changes Batteries

Less E-bike Repositioning

Warehouse Vans & Gas

Fleet Managers Battery Vending

Machine Maintanence

Saving Bird Money for a Greener Tomorrow

>70% Reduce Operational

Costs in 5 years

$275,000

Total Installation Bird Micromobility

Jamn

Energy Cost Reductions

Investment Highlights

Labor = -81% Fuel = -82% System & Batteries

Maintenance = -80%

$24,000 Leasing $100,000 Solar Panels

$6,212,200

Bird's 5 Year Cost

Bird Micromobility

Jamn

* $1,057,000

Our Solution's 5 Year Cost

Energy is Powered by

You!

Bird Micromobility

Jamn

Questions?

Thank you! JIA YU | ALARA | MARYAM | NIMIT

Appendix

Business Model Canvas

Prototyping the App Interface

Parking Assistance Prototype In our first prototype, by prototyping a scaled model of our projection pole concept, we were able to pitch the idea and engage with a diverse group of people to gather their thoughts and feedback.

Tests : 26

Parking Assistance Prototype Projector Sensor that locks bike when in place.

Community Engagement