Quick help guidelines and walkthough for different groups of Pintrest users during their Pin creation process.
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Challenge
How might we educate Pin creators the best practices of Pin creation effectively?
I was provided the following needs and constraints:
Clear CTA to that direct them to access helpful information
Uninterrupted from their journey of creating a Pin
Interface must be able to scalable and create opportunity to reach support
Increase high-quality Pins and user engagement
Research
During the 1 week design sprint, I quickly went over the interview our team conducted, try to understand what were creators, pinners, advertisers and merchants' motivations and pain points were.
Analyzed existing data to gain important insights on the impact of Pin quality on user engagement and business
Found that crucial pin guidelines, representing best practices, are somewhat hidden within the Pinterest Business website, with approximately 80% of creators and businesses were unaware of its existence.
Conducted an analysis to identify best practices design and content on Pinterest. My research revealed that guidances are currently available exclusively within the campaign ad creator. However, we aspire to make these valuable insights more accessible by integrating them into the Pin creator, identifying opportunities for enhancement.
User Flow - Outlines the process of creating a Pin and using the best practice Pinterest Pin guidelines. Before, this experience did not exit in the Pin creation dashboard. However now, It can serve as a reference for content creators and advertisers to ensure their Pinterest content aligns with the platform's best practices and maximize their Pin quality.
Ideation
There are three different Pin types: Standard, Video and Maximizing Engagement. Base on each types, I then identify what were the recommended size and layout, the look and feel so Pinners, creators and businesses know what the ideal Pin should look like and its benefits.
Online Retailers - Advertiser
Name: Emily, the Handmade Jewelry Shop Owner
Age: 40
Background: Emily runs a small online business where she sells handmade jewelry. She's passionate about her craft and wants to expand her brand's online presence, reach new customers, and increase sales.
Pinterest Goals: Emily uses Pinterest to showcase her jewelry collections, attract potential customers, and drive traffic to her online store. She values best practices such as creating eye-catching pins with detailed product descriptions, utilizing rich pins for e-commerce, and running Pinterest Ads to reach a broader audience. She also engages with her followers and collaborates with influencers to promote her products.
Key Guidelines for this Persona:
High-Quality Visuals: Ensure all product pins and visuals are of high quality to attract potential customers.
Rich Pins: Use rich pins with detailed product information, pricing, and direct links to your online store.
Pinterest Ads: Tips creating Pinterest Ads to expand her reach and target specific demographics or interests within her niche.
Passionate Enthusiasts - Pinner
Name: Mark, the Fashionista
Age: 20
Background: Mark is a fashion-forward marketing professional who is deeply passionate about all things related to fashion. He keeps himself updated on the latest fashion trends and loves to express his unique style through clothing, accessories, and makeup. Mark is also a fashion blogger and social media influencer.
Pinterest Goals: Mark uses Pinterest to discover and curate fashion inspiration, including outfit ideas, makeup looks, and accessories. He frequently pins high-quality images from fashion blogs and online retailers. He values detailed pins with links to purchase products and articles about fashion trends. Mark is interested in collaborating with fashion brands and other influencers for sponsored content.
Key Guidelines for this Persona:
Visually Inspiration: Mark appreciates visually appealing pins. Follow best practices for high-resolution images and well-composed visuals to catch his attention.
Link to Sources: Mark wants to know where to find the fashion items he loves. Ensure pins link directly to the source or product page for a seamless shopping experience.
User-Generated Content: Discover brands and unique trends to create his own curated board
The Creative Community - Creator
Name: Sarah, the DIY Enthusiast
Age: 28
Background: Sarah is a young, creative individual with a passion for DIY projects and home improvement. She loves to create unique and visually appealing content, such as DIY tutorials, craft projects, and home decor ideas.
Pinterest Goals: Sarah uses Pinterest to discover new project ideas, source inspiration for her creations, and share her own DIY projects with the community. She values a well-organized Pinterest profile, rich visuals, and detailed descriptions for her pins. She's also interested in collaborating with other creators for cross-promotion.
Key Guidelines for this Persona:
High-Quality Visuals: Sarah wants to share high-quality images, designs, and content to engage and inspire her audience.
Link to Sources: Ensure that her pins link to the source or full project, article, or content for easy access.
Rich Pins: Utilize video pins to provide step-by-step instructions and context for her project.
Exploration
I conducted an quick exploration of multiple entry points and evaluated their respective advantages and drawbacks. Our primary objective was to ensure that users could access the guidelines precisely when they needed them, without disrupting their pin creation process. I subsequently presented my findings to the Product Manager, fellow designers, and developers. After a collaborative review and considering their invaluable feedback, we reached a consensus in favor of Option 4, as it emerged as the most logical choice.
Next step of my process involved presenting my solutions to Ad growth team. Our goal is to seamlessly inform knowledge to users, offering insights into diverse pin expansion strategies, all while ensuring a frictionless experience throughout their pin creation journey—empowering them with information without disrupting their creative flow. The half-sheet modal navigation emerged as an optimal solution, allowing users to simultaneously track their progress while effortlessly accessing and assimilating the best practices.
Impact and Takeaway
The result of this quick sprint proved to have a positive impact on both Pin quality on user engagement and business metrics:
Engagement: Pins that adhered to best practices showed a 5% increase in engagement (likes, saves, and clicks) compared to poorly designed Pins. Also saw an increase in high-quality Pins on Pinterest.
Reduced Frustration: Users mentioned feeling less frustrated that there is a guidelines with following steps.
My key takeaway from the project was the potential to streamline user interactions by simplifying navigation and eliminating respective imagery. User testing revealed that not all users followed a similar journey, and the step-by-step approach, while intended to guide, often proved distracting, hindering immediate access to essential information. Given more time, I would focus on refining those areas, actively seeking and incorporating user feedback to enhance the overall user experience.
