#UXR
#UX
#Figma
My Role
Timeline
1 Week
Team
Independent
Tools
Figma
I began by researching what motivates people to take action, aiming to align with Pinterest's goal of inspiring people to take action and create the life they want.
The findings led me to conclude that:
Motivation to Take Action = Emotional Inspiration + Convenience
Currently, Pinterest has approached this in a way that creates obstacles on their platform. This prompted me to explore which aspects within the platform were hindering both emotional inspiration and convenience?
User Reviews & Interviews: Defining the Problem
After reviewing recent feedback on Pinterest, I recognized a recurring trend of problems within the app related to its core purpose, specifically the difficulties faced in finding inspiration for interests. To dig deeper, I conducted interviews with a diverse group of users who use the platform for different purposes to gain deeper insights into what the underlying issue was.
1
Designer
1
1
Shopper
What I found was that the problem all boils down to:
Pinterest functions as a visual discovery platform. But currently, users can’t find what they’re looking for due to a lack of relevant, discoverable, and diverse content.
To brainstorm potential solutions for the pain points identified by my interviewees, I developed "How Might We" statements for each of their concerns. Following this, I documented common features that could effectively accommodate the diverse reasons each interviewee uses Pinterest.
After reviewing each of the 'How Might We' statements, I identified common solutions that addressed most, if not all, of the pain points mentioned by the users I interviewed.
Idea #1: Discover Page
Rather than an explore page, which users rarely use because the content is often irrelevant to their interests, a discover page featuring pins uploaded by boards or users that are followed ensures that the content shown is directly related to user's interests.
Idea #2: Optimized Search Bar
To address the difficulty in finding boards, users, and products on the platform, a search bar with filtering capabilities makes searching for content more accessible.
Idea #3: Additional Similar Boards Tab
As users often struggle to discover original and diverse content related to their searches, an "Additional Similar Boards" tab enables users to explore a selection of pins directly related to their interests, created by other users.
Testing…Testing…Testing…
Implementing User Testing Feedback
I conducted user testing with the participants I initially interviewed, using my mockups of the possible solutions. Apart from minor flaws they noticed, I received positive feedback with the new additions to the app. But, the filter feature was a key aspect that required iteration.
Original UI
Revised UI
Icon Used ≠ Action
The icon I initially used for the additional feature caused confusion because it did not clearly indicate the intended action.
To improve clarity, I included symbols to represent the associated search along with a dropdown menu, making it clear which search option is enabled.
My Optimized Version of Pinterest
A solution to Pinterest's current lack of relevant, discoverable, and diverse content.
Curated Content by Similar Users
Pins are curated by other users who have created boards with similar themes, ensuring original and diverse content tailored to the users' preferences.
Previous Solution
Only similar pins were shown.
Accessible Content from Followings
A page that show pins uploaded by the users and boards that the user follows.
Previous Solution
An "Explore Page" with general trending daily inspiration. Additionally, there is no existing page to view the content from users or boards that the user is following.
