Independent Project | July 2023 – September 2023
Designed and launched a digital content platform translating mainstream Pinterest recipes into allergen-safe, accessible cooking experiences for users with dietary restrictions.
Pins to Plates leveraged a large, curated Pinterest recipe database to systematize recipe adaptation, content creation, and audience growth for an underserved community.
- Role: Founder, Product Manager with Design Skills, Brand & Marketing Lead
- Skills: UX Design, Content Strategy, Branding, Web Design (Wix), Growth Marketing, Analytics
- Impact: 500K+ Pinterest total audience (at peak), 15K+ monthly viewers (on average), strong niche community engagement
Pins to Plates Blog Website
🎯 Problem Statement
Most online food content prioritizes mainstream diets, leaving users with severe allergies to manually reinterpret recipes without guidance, structure, or trust.
This creates:
- High cognitive load in adapting recipes
- Safety risks from unclear substitutions
- Limited representation in food media
- Fragmented discovery across platforms
Pins to Plates addressed this gap by enabling users to:
- Discover allergy-safe adaptations
- Trust substitutions and ingredients
- Follow structured, repeatable recipes
- Feel represented in food content
👥 Target Users
- Individuals with severe food allergies
- Parents managing dietary restrictions
- Health-conscious home cooks
- Pinterest-first recipe discoverers
- Young creators in niche food communities
🧠 Research & Discovery
Research was informed by:
- Lifelong lived experience with severe allergies
- Analysis of 900+ saved Pinterest recipes
- Community feedback and engagement patterns
- Observation of common substitution challenges
Key insights:
- Users prioritize safety over novelty
- Visual clarity improves trust
- Ingredient substitutions must be standardized
- Long-form explanations increase confidence
- Authentic storytelling drives loyalty
💡 Platform & System Design
I designed Pins to Plates as a modular content system:
- Inspiration Layer: Pinterest board as ideation database
- Adaptation Framework: Allergen-safe substitutions
- Content Templates: Repeatable blog structure
- Visual System: Pastel branding and clean layouts
- Distribution Loop: Pinterest → Blog → Social
Each component supported scalability and consistency.
🎨 Design & Branding
I created a cohesive digital identity including:
- Custom logo and brand assets
- Color palette and typography system
- Responsive Wix layouts
- Consistent post templates
- Image-forward content hierarchy
Design considerations:
- Accessibility and readability
- Mobile-first browsing
- Visual trust cues
- Minimal cognitive friction
- Warm, personal tone
📈 Growth & Marketing Strategy
Growth was driven through organic channels:
- Pinterest SEO and pin optimization
- Cross-platform promotion
- Consistent publishing cadence
- Community engagement
- Authentic storytelling
Results:
- 500K+ cumulative views
- 15K monthly viewers
- Sustained niche visibility
- High save and return rates
🔁 Iteration & Optimization
I continuously improved the platform by:
- Refining content formats
- Testing layout changes
- Updating substitution logic
- Adjusting tone and length
- Monitoring engagement metrics
Iteration prioritized clarity, safety, and retention.
📊 Product Thinking & Operations
Beyond content creation, I managed the platform as a product:
- Defined success metrics (views, saves, retention)
- Built standardized workflows
- Created reusable content pipelines
- Balanced creative and operational demands
- Managed roadmap and publishing cycles
This enabled consistent, scalable output. Although these metrics were primarily hypothetical, I gained experience in what it takes to have a successful blog, which is more difficult than I originally thought.
🚀 Outcomes & Impact
- Launched a fully branded niche platform
- Built trusted community presence
- Demonstrated end-to-end ownership