Pinterest has launched a trio of visual discovery tools. These tools, called Lens, Instant Ideas, and Shop the Look, are designed to help you get more out of Pinterest, and they're all triggered by visual clues. Because using words to search and discover new items of interest is so 2016.
Pinterest has built a huge userbase by providing a massive catalog of ideas. The problem is that Pinterest is now so big it can be difficult to find what you're looking for. Thankfully, Pinterest is constantly looking for new ways to help its users find new things, which has led to the launch of a trio of new visual discovery tools...
Pinterest Gets Visually Stimulated
Lens lets you find ideas on Pinterest based on the objects around you. All you need to do is take a photo of an object in the real world using the camera in the Pinterest app. Pinterest will identify the object, and return results based on whatever is in the photo. Lens currently works best with home decor, clothes, and food, but will eventually recognize more objects.
Instant Ideas does the exact same thing but for things you're already looking at on Pinterest. As you browse through Pins you'll see a circle appear on each photo. When you find something you want to see more of, you can click the circle to return results based on whatever is in the photo. As you click, your Pinterest feed will become more personalized to your tastes.
Shop the Look lets you track down and buy items of clothing and home decor you see in Pins. Each object in a photo that's available to buy will have a solid circle attached to it, and clicking on it will direct you to a retailer selling that object. To make this possible, Pinterest has partnered with Curalate, Olapic, Project September, Refinery29, and ShopStyle.
Money for Old Pins
Pinterest is all about inspiring its users, and these visual discovery tools should help users get inspired with even less effort. The bonus for Pinterest itself will come if and when users buy products using the Shop the Look feature. Cha-ching!
Instant Ideas and Shop the Look are available now on Android, on iOS, and on the web. Lens will be rolling out to U.S. users over the next few weeks.
Are you an avid user of Pinterest? Will you be using these visual discovery tools? If so, which one? Have you ever seen something in the real world you wanted to find on Pinterest? Or seen something on Pinterest you wanted to buy? Please let us know in the comments below!