From Nothing to Panamera (How Three Post-Its Built a Flying Dinner Party)
What if a dinner felt like boarding a plane again? In this story, I show how three random Post-Its and a playful mindset sparked the idea for Flight Again with Panamera Airlines—a fictional culinary journey born from The White Canvas tool: Creativity, nostalgia, and flavor take flight.
How do you summon ideas when nothing is coming?
🪞The Feeling & The Frame
Imagine this:
It’s the end of a long, strange year. December 2020. Do you remember that feeling?
Each country was navigating the pandemic differently, but around that time, in the north of Tenerife, there was a moment—a window—where small events were allowed. A friend called me to help organize a private New Year’s Eve dinner in a tiny boutique hotel. It was the perfect opportunity to dream big in a small space.
Sometimes constraints can be limitations. But sometimes, they can be a springboard.
So I asked myself:
If you could go back and design a New Year’s Eve dinner during the pandemic… What would you create?
What were you missing then? What would you have loved to feel again?
When was the last time you played just for the joy of it?
🌪️ My Story: From Curiosity to Concept
Borders were shut.
Planes were grounded.
But something inside still longed for movement—for the joy of boarding, the buzz of going somewhere new, even the clumsy charm of in-flight meals.
So… we made our own airline.
Example: My Design Challenge. A Food Event: A New Year's Eve Dinner (During Pandemic Times)
🔍 The Turning Point: The Game Begins
This was the perfect moment to try something I’d been developing:
A creative tool I had prototyped months earlier in London during a brand ideation session for a healthy energy bar (but that’s another story…).
There was no pressure. Whatever we came up with would be okay—we were craving connection, novelty, excitement. My colleague was open to PLAY. I was ready to experiment: I printed the game, grabbed a handful of colored Post-its, and something amazing happened.
🌀 The Concept: The Idea That Took Off
We came up with a few ideas, but this one had all the stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (It’ll make more sense when you see the tool!).
Example: My Design Challenge. A Food Event: A New Year's Eve Dinner (During Pandemic Times)
It was playful. Bold. Completely aligned with our creative challenge. Even though the event never fully happened, the spark of it stayed with me.
Because the joy of creating it—that part was real.
💡 Idea Spotlight:
“Flight Again with Panamera Airlines”
A fictional airline, built for a one-night-only New Year’s Eve dinner experience.
Guests were invited to board Panamera Airlines on December 31st for a nostalgic, immersive culinary journey — one that brought back the pleasure of flying (even if just for a few hours).
The destination? Unknown.
The mission? To take off, together.
Example: My Design Challenge. A Food Event: A New Year's Eve Dinner (During Pandemic Times)
-
We didn’t just write a menu — we built an airline:
A name that sounded tropical, luxurious, and just a little ridiculous.
(Panama hat + Porsche + Guantanamera vibes = Panamera Airlines)A fictional backstory, logo, and tagline.
A Spotify playlist designed like an airline radio channel.
Snack kits hidden under the seats — like lifejackets, but tastier
This wasn’t just a dinner.
It was a performance in disguise.
An ode to our shared longing for discovery and delight. -
Ticket Confirmation : Guests received a digital “boarding email” with a flight number, seat assignment, and check-in details.
Boarding Passes: On arrival, they received physical boarding passes — playful, personalized, and totally believable.
Cabin Crew Service: Hosts dressed in retro flight attendant uniforms. Safety announcements. Pilot mic check. Cheesy? Maybe. Immersive Completely.
In-Flight Meal
Each course arrived on a real airline tray — an elevated twist on international in-flight meals.The Journey: Every dish represented a surprise “destination.” Each was revealed with storytelling, sounds, or cultural references. A sensory flight across imagined borders.
The Landing: At midnight, a final course symbolized our arrival. Guests received a small keepsake — a stamp for the palate and the heart.
-
Airline slogan: “Rediscover the Pleasure of Flying.”
A snack kit hidden like an emergency treat.
Lighting changes to simulate take-off and landing.
Curated playlists for each phase of the meal.
Whispered moments like: “Please prepare for flavor turbulence.”
Example: My Design Challenge. A Food Event: A New Year's Eve Dinner (During Pandemic Times)
🧠 Where Did the Idea Come From?
It all started with three Post-its drawn from a creative game I call The White Canvas:
Inspiration: A Good Food Service – warm, efficient, and thoughtful
Learning: Plane Food – the nostalgic unboxing ritual of eating mid-flight
Target User: Local Couples (Young in Spirit) – lovers of design, festivals, and hands-on experiences
Example: My Design Challenge. A Food Event: A New Year's Eve Dinner (During Pandemic Times)
Our creative challenge was simple:
👉 We wanted to design a dinner that brings back the joy of traveling…
Example: My Design Challenge. A Food Event: A New Year's Eve Dinner (During Pandemic Times)
What would you do with three random words and a blank page?
That was enough.
From those seeds, a world bloomed.
We almost called it Paradise Airlines… But when “Panamera” came up, we all felt it. The click. The laugh. The knowing. The idea landed before the plane did.
We almost called it Paradise Airlines…
But when “Panamera” came up, we all felt it.
The click. The laugh. The knowing.
The idea landed before the plane did.
How do you usually approach idea generation?
Are you stuck repeating the same formats over and over?
What happens when you invite others into your ideation process?
About the Tool: The White Canvas
The White Canvas is a creative flow chart I designed to help people generate ideas from scratch using simple prompts to spark imagination.
If you’re a chef, designer, food thinker, storyteller—or just someone who loves combining ideas like ingredients—this tool was made for you.
Here’s how it works:
Define a design challenge
Pick three prompts (Inspiration, Learning, User)
Combine. Create.
Let your imagination take flight.
Click here to buy or explore The White Canvas Tool
The White Canvas helped me remember what I love most:
Creating the environment where ideas can grow.
Embracing constraints can fuel creativity.
Playfulness is a powerful catalyst for innovation.
It brought me back to a younger version of myself, playing with empty rooms and rearranging chairs into airplanes. And honestly?
I’m still that kid.
If your ideas have been hiding, maybe it’s time to call them back in.
Start small + Start strange + Start now.
Ideas don’t need to be perfect. They just need to show up.
Ready to try it yourself?
Print it, sketch it, or copy it into your notebook. What matters is that you slow down and play with it.
Let’s Connect
What would your imaginary dinner be? Would it happen on a boat? A moon base? A jungle treehouse? What would guests wear? What would they taste? What story would unfold?
📝 Hit reply and tell me. I’d love to hear.
Let’s build imaginary things together. Because imaginary things… are where real magic begins.
Support My Work
If this helped you, consider sharing it with a friend, subscribing to my newsletter, or buying me a coffee. This space is a labor of love—and your support helps me keep building it.
A Note from Me
I don’t believe ideas are good or bad.
Not in the beginning. That comes later—MUCH later.
A “wrong” idea at the right time can be genius.
A “brilliant” one at the wrong time? It disappears quietly.
I think I’m really good at having bad ideas.
But I stopped judging them. Because showing up is the only rule.
