Overview
A contextual methods study to investigate the ideal experience of Pinterest, examining what it currently is and the direction it could take to become ideal.
Role
Project Manager: Managed end to end collaborative work including secondary research, observation studies, designing discussion guides for interviews, sensory cue workshops, affinity mapping, curating a research magazine, and identifying design opportunities.
Details
Duration : 10 weeks (Jan - Mar 2026)
Team : Rucha Nene, Eshwari Malani, Jyoti Kailash, Seongmin An
Mentor : Jeehoon Shin
What's the story?
Stakeholder map
Secondary research
We dug into the background and origin of the app, its current state, reviewed relevant statistics, and mapped stakeholders to establish context for the study.
Recruited participants
Interesting insights
Primary research
We observed 8 users and screen recorded their interactions while using Pinterest, documenting around 240 observations in total.
We then recruited 8 participants for in depth interviews, gathering more than 480 additional data points. Some key insights are summarized alongside.
Sensory cue workshop
Activity 1: Creating a sensory canvas. “If Pinterest were a taste, what would it be?”
Activity 2: Using the metaphor of riding a river to understand the user journey.
Activity 3: Providing cues and cards for participants to sketch and ideate their version of Pinterest.
What was interesting?
Metaphors emerged naturally, helped participants come out of the digital interface and connect Pinterest with the physical world
Research Overview
The bottom up approach
Affinity Mapping
After gathering 1000+ raw data points as a team, we clustered them into 153 blues and further synthesized them into 28 pinks, ultimately condensing them into 9 distinct key stories about both what users currently feel about Pinterest and what they want it to become.
What did we gain?
The synthesis of data revealed clear themes and patterns.
The ideal Pinterest experience is
Curated research framework
3 realms and 10 values:
“I am” and “It” statements capture user perspectives across three realms - Create, Explore and Organize with some overlaps. For example, users feel energized when creating and exploring, especially when the platform guides them.
Client Magazine
Pinterest has long been seen as a platform for immersion and exploration. However, users today want more than discovery. They want to know what comes next. This could mean quickly editing an image or labeling a pin for someone else. The focus shifts from inspiration to feeling in control.
Learnings
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Each research method serves a purpose: secondary research for context, observations for the researcher’s view, and interviews/activities for deeper user insights.
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Contextual methods reveal deeper behavioural needs beyond surface issues like interface friction, feature limits, and ads.