Written By Jahnvi Kalro (Grade 11)
Have you ever kept a collection of things in a scrapbook, on a bulletin board or even on the door of your fridge?
Pinterest is just the online version on that!
A website/application that helps you find and organize pictures, videos and many interesting things through a series of user-created categories of ‘boards’ and a series of bookmarks called ‘pins’.
From drawings, animations, recipes, style inspiration, decor ideas for your home to travel destinations; Pinterest has it all, so you’re sure to find something that interests you! There are several small/big businesses that use this platform to advertise/promote themselves to potential customers.
I still vividly remember the first time I used Pinterest. It was back in 2017 when I was in the 7th grade. I was working on a social project and was hunting for sites to source pictures from. After scrolling for quite some time, I came across Pinterest wherein I found a variety of colourful and topic-related images. The application astonished me with its diverse collection and that’s when I decided to start using Pinterest not just for my projects but also for knowledge-based activities.
Let’s have a little glimpse of where it all started!!!
In December 2009, Ben Silbermann, Evan Sharp and Paul Sciarra started working on their idea for a site based in San Francisco that would allow users to make collections of images that reflect their preferences and the products they love. In 2011, Pinterest was listed among Time Magazine’s 50 best websites and gradually became the tenth most valuable and successful private tech company in the world.
Well, it is said that- “There’s no innovation and creativity without failure.” The company went through a similar phase. Pinterest was inspired by a failed app! Before helping to co-found Pinterest, Ben Silbermann and Paul Sciarra were solely focused on creating an app called “Tote”. The idea behind the app was that users could search for one item and get an instant personalized catalogue from a variety of websites. Unfortunately, the app never quite made it off the ground as people weren’t really embracing apps as an avenue for shopping. One point the developers did notice was that people were saving the pics of the products they liked, forming collections of their preferences and that’s where the idea of Pinterest popped in!
From ten thousand users for nearly 9 months, since its launch to over 450 million active users as of 2020, the app has definitely come a far way.
What fascinates me about Pinterest?
As a student Pinterest has always captivated and helped me discover and do what I love.
- The quality and clarity of images never fail to amaze me. It is definitely a visual treat to its users.
- The classy and aesthetic pictures always create a beautiful vision in my head.
- There are plenty of useful tutorials and hacks that help us in our daily lives.
- Pinterest has played a huge role in enhancing my creativity as an individual.
- The colourful and vivid images make such a great impact.
- It has become very popular around the world because of its diversified content.
A favourite book, toy or recipe can reveal a connection between two people. With millions of pins added every week, Pinterest is connecting people all over the world based on shared tastes and interests!
Featured Image Courtesy – Search Engine Journal