Design & Impact Projects
Creating culinary experiences and social impact initiatives that empower women
and foster community connection, and inspire meaningful change.
Seven Bites is more than a food business - it's an exercise in experience design, service design, spatial design, brand design, and product design. Each workshop, product, and gathering is thoughtfully crafted to create meaningful connections between people, food, and tradition.
Below are case studies showcasing the design process, user feedback, measurable outcomes, and the entrepreneurial innovation behind Seven Bites' offerings.
Immersive Culinary Experiences
Design Challenge
How can I create intimate culinary experiences that go beyond traditional cooking classes to engage all five senses, foster authentic community connections, and reconnect women with the ritual of conscious food preparation?
Design Process
1. User Research: Conducted interviews with 15+ women in Lisbon to understand their relationship with cooking, time constraints, and desire for community connection.
2. Experience Mapping: Designed the workshop journey from arrival to departure, considering spatial flow, sensory touchpoints, and emotional peaks.
3. Spatial Design: Transformed my Estrela kitchen and garden into an intimate workshop space accommodating 6-8 participants, optimizing for both learning and connection.
4. Service Design: Created a scalable booking system, pre-workshop communication flow, and post-workshop follow-up with recipes and resources.
5. Iteration: Refined workshop format based on participant feedback, adjusting timing, hands-on involvement, and recipe complexity.
Measurable Outcomes
User Feedback
"This wasn't just a cooking class - it was a transformative experience. I left feeling more connected to myself, the food, and the other women in the room." - Shauna, Workshop Participant
"Arwa's approach to cooking is like meditation. I now cook with more intention and presence at home." - Anna, Workshop Participant
Business Model Innovation
The workshop model is designed for scalability and sustainability:
- Tiered Pricing: Accessible €20-30 pricing with optional contribution models to ensure inclusivity
- Hybrid Format: Both public and private workshops generate diversified revenue streams
- Franchise Potential: Documented processes and recipes allow for future expansion with trained facilitators
- Partnership Model: Collaborations with wellness retreats and corporate wellness programs extend reach
Sustainable Product Design
Design Challenge
How can I create artisanal nourishment products that are both traditional and accessible, sustainable in production, and scalable as a business while maintaining quality and authenticity?
Product Design Process
1. Material Research: Sourced local, organic ingredients from Portuguese farmers and ethical suppliers, ensuring sustainability and traceability.
2. Brand Design: Developed cohesive visual identity reflecting Middle Eastern heritage and Portuguese simplicity through color, typography, and packaging.
3. Production Systems: Designed small-batch production processes that maintain quality while allowing for scaling (15L → 45L → 75L capacity).
4. User Testing: Conducted taste tests and gathered feedback from 25+ users to refine recipes and portion sizes.
5. Market Validation: Launched at Farmers Markets to test demand, pricing, and customer preferences before full production.
Sustainability Features
- Glass jar packaging for reusability and reduced plastic waste
- Local ingredient sourcing to minimize carbon footprint
- Zero-waste production utilizing all parts of vegetables and bones
- Fermentation processes requiring no refrigeration during storage
- Partnership with local farms for ingredient surplus/waste reduction
Scalability & Innovation
The product line demonstrates entrepreneurial innovation through:
- Modular production systems that can scale from home kitchen to commercial facility
- Multi-channel distribution: workshops, farmers markets, online orders, and future retail partnerships
- Recipe documentation allowing for licensed production by partners in other cities
- Digital cookbook integration creating cross-selling opportunities between products and education
Periamma & SafePads - Social Impact
Design Challenge
How can we create menstrual health awareness and access to sustainable menstrual products in marginalized communities in India, addressing both the educational gap and economic barriers that keep 1 in 6 girls from attending school during menstruation?
The Problem
In India, menstruation remains a stigmatized topic. Girls often lack information and access to safe menstrual products, leading to shame, embarrassment, and school absenteeism. The statistics are staggering:
- 1 in 6 girls leave school when they get their period due to lack of access to menstrual products and facilities
- Traditional disposable pads are expensive, creating financial burden on families
- Hanging menstrual cloth outside to dry creates guilt, shame, and embarrassment for young girls and their families
- Lack of open communication between mothers and daughters perpetuates stigma and misinformation
Design Solution
Seven Bites partnered with Periamma, a Danish charity supporting marginalized communities in India, to design and implement menstrual health awareness sessions at 2 local community centers. The program focused on:
1. Community Engagement: Invited mothers and daughters to safe, judgment-free spaces where they could learn together and break the silence around menstruation.
2. Education Design: Created culturally sensitive workshops teaching mothers how to communicate openly with their daughters about menstruation without stigma or shame.
3. Product Introduction: Introduced SafePads - reusable menstrual pads made with nano-technology that dry quickly indoors, eliminating the need to hang them outside and protecting girls' privacy and dignity.
4. Economic Empowerment: Each SafePad pack purchase generates Rs. 55 income for local women who sew the products, creating sustainable employment opportunities.
SafePads: Product Innovation
SafePads represent a breakthrough in menstrual health for low-income communities:
- Nano-technology fabric allows pads to dry quickly indoors - no need to hang outside
- 1 pack contains 5 reusable pads that last 3-5 years
- Pays for itself in 6 months compared to buying disposable pads monthly from supermarkets
- Eco-friendly and sustainable - reduces waste and environmental impact
- Locally produced by women in the community, generating income and employment
Measurable Impact
Additional reach: 13 market stalls covered, bringing awareness to broader community
User Feedback & Stories
"For the first time, I was able to talk openly with my daughter about her period. SafePads have given her confidence to go to school every day of the month." - Mother, Community Participant
"I used to miss 3-4 days of school every month because I was embarrassed. Now with SafePads, no one knows, and I don't have to miss any classes." - 14-year-old Girl, Program Beneficiary
Social Impact & Scalability
The Periamma-SafePads collaboration demonstrates how design thinking can address complex social challenges:
- Breaking Stigma: Created safe spaces for conversations that shift cultural norms around menstruation
- Economic Empowerment: Generated sustainable income for local women through SafePads production (Rs. 55 per pack)
- Education Access: Enabled girls to stay in school, reducing dropout rates and improving long-term opportunities
- Environmental Sustainability: Replaced disposable products with reusable alternatives, reducing waste
- Scalable Model: Program framework can be replicated in other districts and countries with similar challenges
Partnership & Community Building
This project showcases Seven Bites' commitment to using food and community as catalysts for broader social change. By partnering with Periamma and Real Pads Denmark, Seven Bites extended its mission beyond culinary experiences to address fundamental issues of dignity, health, and education - demonstrating how entrepreneurship can create multi-dimensional impact across borders and cultures.