UXA Reflection Point: Product Design

I use digital products all day, every day, for everything from work to meals to keeping up with family. My phone is basically an extension of my arm as much as I hate to admit it. To analyze which apps that I use the most is a struggle, but it only took me about three minutes to decide which was the GREATEST on my phone… Pinterest!

Lifewire describes Pinterest as “a social site where you can collect and share images of anything you find interesting. You can also visually discover new interests by browsing the collections of other Pinterest users.”

The product is basically a self-curated collection of the things I love most (cooking, home decorating, yoga, aesthetics, hair inspiration, the list goes on…) organized into categories that I am in control of. The app has seamlessly molded itself into an everyday tool in my life due to its usability and experience.

My life, according to Pinterest

Pinterest provides a platform to source recipes, design tools, decorating tips and tricks, photography, the list could go on forever. Infinite information available on an app, with a minimal but aesthetic approach to its design. Growing up, I would pull out magazine pages and put them into category-specific binders. Pinterest has completely virtualized this process and made the information accessible anywhere that you have phone/internet access. From the first use, the average user is intuitively able to “pin” ideas and create boards. The Pinterest algorithm then begins to show the user other articles, pages, photos, etc that relate to their interests. Although Pinterest does roll out some UI/UX updates, the changes generally are self-explanatory and learnable.

Additionally, Pinterest has options for “visible” or “hidden” content. This is helpful for a handful of reasons, socially and personal. Think of a mom who wants her public “board” to be an aesthetically pleasing group of baby portraits and nursery art…. but she wants to save a recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala. Hidden boards are at her service! The idea of customized boards lets people create an image they want to show off, and to hide anything they may not want the world to see.

As long as the experience and function of Pinterest remain a priority, this app will continue to be an everyday (who am I kidding, every hour) tool that I count on. I would say they have mastered the art of marketing by word of mouth; this product was recommended to me years ago by a friend, and I have recommended it to many other friends. Over all, I would place Pinterest at the top of my “addicted to” list and it looks like around 3.5 million other users agree with me!