As a long-time Pinterest user, I’ve always appreciated its power to inspire creativity—whether for recipes, home decor, or DIY projects. My personal experience sparked a drive to improve the platform's functionality, specifically focusing on simplifying the saving process and enhancing content personalization. In this case study, I explore how to streamline the user journey, making it easier for users to save, revisit, and stay inspired by fresh, relevant content.
As a long-time Pinterest user, I’ve always appreciated its power to inspire creativity—whether for recipes, home decor, or DIY projects. My personal experience sparked a drive to improve the platform's functionality, specifically focusing on simplifying the saving process and enhancing content personalization. In this case study, I explore how to streamline the user journey, making it easier for users to save, revisit, and stay inspired by fresh, relevant content.
ROLE
UX / UI Designer,
Product Designer,
User Research
SOFTWARE
Figma,
Photoshop,
Figjam
ROLE
UX / UI Designer,
Product Designer
SOFTWARE
Figma,
Photoshop,
Figjam
While exploring Pinterest, users often find it difficult to quickly save images and stay updated with new pins from their connections. Limited saving functionality and repeated content from the same sources diminish the sense of discovery and inspiration. This raises a question: why can’t users seamlessly save and stay inspired by fresh, personalized content?
Streamlined Saving and Real-Time Inspiration
Quick Save Icon:
The new 'Quick Save' icon allows users to save pins instantly with one tap, reducing friction and making it easier to organize inspiration on the go.
Quick Save Icon:
The new 'Quick Save' icon allows users to save pins instantly with one tap, reducing friction and making it easier to organize inspiration on the go.
Following Tab:
The new 'Following' tab on the Explore page lets users view the latest pins from people they follow, offering a more personalized and timely source of inspiration.
Following Tab:
The new 'Following' tab on the Explore page lets users view the latest pins from people they follow, offering a more personalized and timely source of inspiration.
Favorites Feature: Highlighting Pins for Followers:
The new ‘Favorites’ feature allows users to mark specific pins with a star icon, making them visible to followers on their ‘Following’ page. When a user clicks the star, it turns yellow, indicating that the pin has been favorited. This feature helps users share their top inspirations with their followers, creating a more dynamic and engaging profile experience
Favorites Feature: Highlighting Pins for Followers:
The new ‘Favorites’ feature allows users to mark specific pins with a star icon, making them visible to followers on their ‘Following’ page. When a user clicks the star, it turns yellow, indicating that the pin has been favorited. This feature helps users share their top inspirations with their followers, creating a more dynamic and engaging profile experience
Pinterest Users Struggle to Find Fresh Inspiration and Save Content Efficiently
Balancing New Features with User Expectations
- Adding the "Save Icon" and "Following Page Navigation" required thoughtful integration to ensure these updates didn’t disrupt the familiar Pinterest interface or overwhelm users who were accustomed to its current design.
Maintaining Visual and Functional Consistency
- Incorporating features like the "Following Page Navigation" needed to align seamlessly with Pinterest's existing design system, demanding multiple iterations to ensure consistency and user trust.
Prioritizing Navigation Simplicity
- With Pinterest's visually-driven interface, introducing new paths without overcomplicating the user flow was a significant challenge. Wireframing and testing focused on preserving an intuitive experience.
Ensuring Accessibility and Usability
- Designing features that were user-friendly across devices and touchpoints was crucial. Extensive testing ensured all users could interact with the features effortlessly, regardless of their device or abilities.
I followed a user-centered design approach, moving through the stages of Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Testing to create a solution that meets both user needs and business goals.
EMPHASIZE | USER RESEARCH
Assessing Key Features Against Leading Social and Creative Platforms
Target Audience: Young Adults Seeking Creative Inspiration
This analysis compares Pinterest to Instagram, TikTok, X, Tumblr, Etsy, and Canva, focusing on key features like content saving, personalization, and e-commerce. It identifies strengths, gaps, and opportunities for Pinterest to enhance user engagement and maintain a competitive edge.
Assessing Key Features Against Leading Social and Creative Platforms
This analysis compares Pinterest to Instagram, TikTok, X, Tumblr, Etsy, and Canva, focusing on key features like content saving, personalization, and e-commerce. It identifies strengths, gaps, and opportunities for Pinterest to enhance user engagement and maintain a competitive edge.
Lily, 29
Marketing Specialist,
Lives Alone
Uses Pinterest as a personal resource for DIY home decor and style inspiration.
Values Pinterest’s visual-first format, which helps her quickly save and organize ideas without needing extensive notes.
Pain Point: Finds it challenging to locate relevant, up-to-date information; sometimes encounters older pins that link to inactive or unhelpful resources.
Appreciates boards and collections but would prefer more personalized, AI-driven recommendations tailored to her specific aesthetic preferences.
Uses Pinterest to gather ideas for client projects and to stay updated with design trends.
Finds the platform's search functionality effective for quickly exploring specific themes and aesthetics.
Pain Point: Would like more advanced organization tools to better separate personal and client projects, as collaborative boards can become overwhelming.
Pain Point: Feels overwhelmed by repetitive content in his feed and wishes for more diverse recommendations that align with his recent searches and evolving interests.
Evan, 34
Freelance Designer,
Married with Two Kids
Lily, 29
Marketing Specialist,
Lives Alone
Uses Pinterest as a personal resource for DIY home decor and style inspiration.
Values Pinterest’s visual-first format, which helps her quickly save and organize ideas without needing extensive notes.
Pain Point: Finds it challenging to locate relevant, up-to-date information; sometimes encounters older pins that link to inactive or unhelpful resources.
Appreciates boards and collections but would prefer more personalized, AI-driven recommendations tailored to her specific aesthetic preferences.
Evan, 34
Freelance Designer,
Married with Two Kids
Uses Pinterest to gather ideas for client projects and to stay updated with design trends.
Finds the platform's search functionality effective for quickly exploring specific themes and aesthetics.
Pain Point: Would like more advanced organization tools to better separate personal and client projects, as collaborative boards can become overwhelming.
Pain Point: Feels overwhelmed by repetitive content in his feed and wishes for more diverse recommendations that align with his recent searches and evolving interests.
Across platforms like TikTok, users showcase how Pinterest sparks creativity in their lives—whether it’s Brennan (@BrennanandAshley) bringing his wife’s Pinterest board to life for her birthday, Becky (@Beckykim_) curating her dream outfit, or Laura (@Lauralestyle) revamping her bedroom into a serene 'Sunday reset.' These moments highlight the platform’s unique ability to inspire and turn ideas into reality.
However, these moments of inspiration are often accompanied by frustration—scattered pins, repetitive content, and challenges in organizing ideas disrupt the creative flow. These stories underscore the need to enhance Pinterest’s functionality, ensuring a seamless experience that empowers users to save, organize, and bring their visions to life more effectively.
This highlights the need for a more intuitive, user-centric design that fosters creativity without barriers—a focus of this case study.
Real Stories, Real Impact: The Pinterest Effect
Across platforms like TikTok, users showcase how Pinterest sparks creativity in their lives—whether it’s Brennan (@BrennanandAshley) bringing his wife’s Pinterest board to life for her birthday, Becky (@Beckykim_) curating her dream outfit, or Laura (@Lauralestyle) revamping her bedroom into a serene 'Sunday reset.' These moments highlight the platform’s unique ability to inspire and turn ideas into reality.
However, these moments of inspiration are often accompanied by frustration—scattered pins, repetitive content, and challenges in organizing ideas disrupt the creative flow. These stories underscore the need to enhance Pinterest’s functionality, ensuring a seamless experience that empowers users to save, organize, and bring their visions to life more effectively.
This highlights the need for a more intuitive, user-centric design that fosters creativity without barriers—a focus of this case study.
Real Stories, Real Impact: The Pinterest Effect
During my Pinterest research, I aimed to understand how users engage with the platform as a source of inspiration for creative projects. I conducted interviews with individuals who frequently use Pinterest to find ideas and plan their personal or professional projects. By identifying their motivations, frustrations, and interactions with the platform, I gained insights into how Pinterest can better support users in reaching their creative and project-related goals.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS:
What types of projects or interests do you primarily use Pinterest for?
Can you describe a recent project where Pinterest played a key role in your planning?
What features of Pinterest do you find most valuable or most challenging?
How often do you return to Pinterest during a project?
Tell me about a time when Pinterest helped you successfully complete a project. What aspects were particularly helpful?
During my Pinterest research, I aimed to understand how users engage with the platform as a source of inspiration for creative projects. I conducted interviews with individuals who frequently use Pinterest to find ideas and plan their personal or professional projects. By identifying their motivations, frustrations, and interactions with the platform, I gained insights into how Pinterest can better support users in reaching their creative and project-related goals.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS:
What types of projects or interests do you primarily use Pinterest for?
Can you describe a recent project where Pinterest played a key role in your planning?
What features of Pinterest do you find most valuable or most challenging?
How often do you return to Pinterest during a project?
Tell me about a time when Pinterest helped you successfully complete a project. What aspects were particularly helpful?
Understanding the Inspiration Journey: How Users Leverage Pinterest to Achieve Their Creative Goals
Understanding the Inspiration Journey: How Users Leverage Pinterest to Achieve Their Creative Goals
Primarily users aged 18–34 who seek inspiration, ideas, and resources for creative projects. This group actively uses Pinterest to explore trends, gather visual inspiration, and save ideas for personal and professional development. The platform's main demographic includes young adults, with a significant portion being women aged 18–24, making it a go-to space for discovering and organizing creative content.
Target Audience: Young Adults Seeking Creative Inspiration
Primarily users aged 18–34 who seek inspiration, ideas, and resources for creative projects. This group actively uses Pinterest to explore trends, gather visual inspiration, and save ideas for personal and professional development. The platform's main demographic includes young adults, with a significant portion being women aged 18–24, making it a go-to space for discovering and organizing creative content.
Understanding Pinterest User Journeys: Mapping Key Interactions and Pain Points
This journey map highlights the typical path users take when engaging with Pinterest for creative inspiration, from discovering new ideas to organizing and revisiting saved content. By visualizing user actions, emotions, and pain points at each stage, the map provides actionable insights to improve platform features, enhance user satisfaction, and support seamless navigation from inspiration to project execution.
To address the challenges users face with saving and organizing content on Pinterest, I began by brainstorming ideas to improve the experience. Using insights from my user research, I explored features that could streamline navigation and personalization. This process involved sketching concepts like an enhanced save icon for quicker content saving and a redesigned following page to make discovering fresh inspiration from favorite creators more intuitive. These sketches served as the foundation for refining my ideas and aligning them with user goals, ensuring the proposed solutions were practical and impactful.
IDEATE | BRAINSTORMING AND SKETCHING
Brainstorming and Sketching: Designing Solutions for User Needs
Brainstorming and Sketching: Designing Solutions for User Needs
BRAINSTORMING AND SKETCHING
To address the challenges users face with saving and organizing content on Pinterest, I began by brainstorming ideas to improve the experience. Using insights from my user research, I explored features that could streamline navigation and personalization. This process involved sketching concepts like an enhanced save icon for quicker content saving and a redesigned following page to make discovering fresh inspiration from favorite creators more intuitive. These sketches served as the foundation for refining my ideas and aligning them with user goals, ensuring the proposed solutions were practical and impactful.
Storyboard: Bringing New Features to Life
With the initial concepts sketched out, I created a storyboard to visualize how the new features would transform the user experience. The storyboard illustrates key moments in the user journey, such as how the save icon simplifies the process of saving content and how the updated following page makes it easier for users to navigate fresh, relevant inspiration. By showcasing these new interactions, the storyboard highlights how these solutions address pain points, enhance user satisfaction, and make the Pinterest experience more seamless and enjoyable.
Low-Fidelity Wireframes for Improved User Flow
These low-fidelity wireframes showcase the foundational design concepts for a Pinterest redesign. The goal was to simplify the user flow and enhance overall functionality by focusing on core features such as the ‘Quick Save’ icon and the ‘Following’ tab for personalized content. These wireframes provide a clear structure for further development, testing, and refinement to create a more intuitive user experience.
Understanding Pinterest User Journeys: Mapping Key Interactions and Pain Points
This journey map highlights the typical path users take when engaging with Pinterest for creative inspiration, from discovering new ideas to organizing and revisiting saved content. By visualizing user actions, emotions, and pain points at each stage, the map provides actionable insights to improve platform features, enhance user satisfaction, and support seamless navigation from inspiration to project execution.
