- Pinterest’s AI collages surge in popularity, 3x more engaging than traditional Pins.
- Gen Z leads the trend, creating curated content from fashion to décor.
- AI-driven technology enhances user experience and boosts Pinterest’s growth.
In the summer of 2022, Pinterest silently introduced a cool new app called Shuffles for iPhones.
This app allowed users to make collages using photos from Pinterest and the internet. It became super popular with Gen Z users, and later, Pinterest itself adopted this feature.
Now, Pinterest claims that its collage feature, which relies on AI and computer vision, is three times more popular than its traditional Pins.
The new format lets users collect images from the web and Pinterest, as well as photos they take with their phone, to showcase their style, interests, or tastes.
Initially, people made collages like mood boards or ones dedicated to specific interests, then shared them on platforms like TikTok, often set to music.
But now, Pinterest users are using collages for everything from fashion inspiration to product recommendations. You might find collages filled with home décor ideas or outfits, reminiscent of glossy magazine pages.
Others are using collages to create wish lists of skincare or makeup products they want to try. Plus, most of the images in these collages can be bought directly from Pinterest.
Even though making collages takes more effort than just saving a pin to a Pinterest Board, it’s becoming more popular, according to Pinterest’s Q1 2024 earnings report.
CEO Bill Ready shared, “Users are about three times more likely to save collage Pins compared to other Pins on Pinterest, and many of them include clickable products.”
He also mentioned that Gen Z makes up nearly 70% of collage creators.
Improving the actionability of Pins, or how easily users can interact with them, is key to keeping users happy and engaged, and it’s helping Pinterest grow its monthly active users.
What makes these collages special is the AI and computer vision technology behind them. Instead of just saving a photo, the AI can identify objects in the photo and “cut them out,” similar to how you’d cut out a picture with scissors in real life.
This feature is like the image cutout tool on iOS, which lets you remove the background of a photo and paste it into a message. But Pinterest’s version is more focused on helping users group related items together.
This human-led curation also helps improve Pinterest’s AI. By analyzing how users create collages, Pinterest’s AI can learn to do new things that aren’t possible on other platforms. This helps Pinterest stay competitive in the AI race.
Thanks to more Gen Z users — who now make up over 40% of Pinterest’s users — and increased spending from brands on ads, Pinterest had a great Q1 in 2024.
CNBC reported that Pinterest saw its fastest revenue growth since 2021, and its stock price soared. In the first quarter of 2024, Pinterest made $740 million in revenue, up 23% from the previous year, with an adjusted EPS of 20 cents, beating analysts’ expectations of 13 cents.
Pinterest’s goal is to better serve its growing Gen Z user base. “Pinterest is getting younger — which is rare for internet apps, as they usually attract older users over time,” Ready noted.
Pinterest’s AI collages are revolutionizing how users express themselves online. With their easy-to-use interface and ability to curate personalized content, collages are becoming the go-to feature for Gen Z users and beyond.
And with Pinterest’s continued focus on innovation and user satisfaction, it’s clear that AI-powered collages are here to stay.
