Led Shop Search filter design, improving shopping flow for high-intent users.
How might we support users as they sift through millions of visual ideas—by guiding them from open-ended inspiration to confident shopping decisions, without disrupting the flow of discovery?
Overview
Pinterest is a visual discovery platform where users explore and act on inspiration—from fashion and decor to everyday ideas.
As the lead designer on Shop Search, I focused on turning high-intent browsing into action by introducing shopping filter framework to help users refine broad queries.
The challenge was to support shopping behaviors without disrupting Pinterest’s fluid, visual nature and keeping discovery effortless while improving relevance.
Through deep collaboration across Search, Shopping, Research, and Content, I designed Pinterest’s first filter framework for shopping intent that was lightweight, scalable, and visually integrated.
The result was a more focused, actionable shopping experience that surfaced stronger purchase signals and set the foundation for Pinterest’s long-term filtering strategy.
ROLE
Product Designer
LOCATION
SF
SF
📌 Key Insights and Challenges
Too many results
Broad searches (e.g. “summer dresses”) returned endless, unfocused pins—making it hard to compare or feel in control.
No filters for buyers
Users with clear shopping goals expected tools like price, size, or brand filters, especially in Shop tabs or product boards.
Hard to stay focused
Pinterest’s open-ended flow made it easy to drift off-task, even when users had a specific item in mind.
Weak intent signals
Without refinement options, shopping behavior wasn’t clearly expressed—limiting personalization and ranking.
Boards ≠ wishlist
Users saved products to boards as a way to shop later, but lacked structure to revisit, compare, or act confidently.
📌 Key Insights
Too many results
Broad searches (e.g. “summer dresses”) returned endless, unfocused pins—making it hard to compare or feel in control.
No filters for buyers
Users with clear shopping goals expected tools like price, size, or brand filters, especially in Shop tabs or product boards.
Hard to stay focused
Pinterest’s open-ended flow made it easy to drift off-task, even when users had a specific item in mind.
Weak intent signals
Without refinement options, shopping behavior wasn’t clearly expressed—limiting personalization and ranking.
Boards ≠ wishlist
Users saved products to boards as a way to shop later, but lacked structure to revisit, compare, or act confidently.
✅ Design Solutions
Floating Filter Button
Designed a floating, sticky button anchored on scroll for visibility without distraction.
Modular Filter Sheet
Created a lightweight, modular sheet with scalable facets: category, brand, price, retailers.
Chip Filters
Added top-level chip filters for quick refinement without interrupting browsing flow.
Unified Filtering UI
Designed for mobile and web to reduce friction and improve cross-platform cohesion.
Smart Filters
Proposed personalization by pre-selecting filters based on query, past behavior, and trending attributes.
✅ Design Solutions
Floating Filter Button
Designed a floating, sticky button anchored on scroll for visibility without distraction.
Modular Filter Sheet
Created a lightweight, modular sheet with scalable facets: category, brand, price, retailers.
Chip Filters
Added top-level chip filters for quick refinement without interrupting browsing flow.
Unified Filtering UI
Designed for mobile and web to reduce friction and improve cross-platform cohesion.
Smart Filters
Proposed personalization by pre-selecting filters based on query, past behavior, and trending attributes.
✅ Design Solutions
Floating Filter Button
Designed a floating, sticky button anchored on scroll for visibility without distraction.
Modular Filter Sheet
Created a lightweight, modular sheet with scalable facets: category, brand, price, retailers.
Chip Filters
Added top-level chip filters for quick refinement without interrupting browsing flow.
Unified Filtering UI
Designed for mobile and web to reduce friction and improve cross-platform cohesion.
Smart Filters
Proposed personalization by pre-selecting filters based on query, past behavior, and trending attributes.
🎯 Business & User Impact
By introducing a design-led, scalable filtering framework, I enabled users to confidently refine broad searches into high-intent product journeys, improving relevance, reducing friction, and increasing engagement.
The approach was later adopted across web and app, evolving into Pinterest’s platform-wide solution for product filtering.
By introducing a design-led, scalable filtering framework, I enabled users to confidently refine broad searches into high-intent product journeys, improving relevance, reducing friction, and increasing engagement.
The approach was later adopted across web and app, evolving into Pinterest’s platform-wide solution for product filtering.
🧠 What I learned
Designing for Intent
Strategically identified shopping signals to craft UI that moves users from inspiration to purchase.
Cross-Functional Alignment
Drove alignment across teams to shape a seamless, high-performing shopping experience.
Balancing Platform + Commerce
Crafted solutions that honored Pinterest’s inspiration-first ethos while enabling clear commerce paths.
System Thinking
Built modular, outcome-driven components designed to scale across surfaces and use cases.
🧠 What I learned
Designing for Intent
Strategically identified shopping signals to craft UI that moves users from inspiration to purchase.
Cross-Functional Alignment
Drove alignment across teams to shape a seamless, high-performing shopping experience.
Balancing Platform + Commerce
Crafted solutions that honored Pinterest’s inspiration-first ethos while enabling clear commerce paths.
System Thinking
Built modular, outcome-driven components designed to scale across surfaces and use cases.
🧠 What I learned
Designing for Intent
Strategically identified shopping signals to craft UI that moves users from inspiration to purchase.
Cross-Functional Alignment
Drove alignment across teams to shape a seamless, high-performing shopping experience.
Balancing Platform + Commerce
Crafted solutions that honored Pinterest’s inspiration-first ethos while enabling clear commerce paths.
System Thinking
Built modular, outcome-driven components designed to scale across surfaces and use cases.
🔮 Future Opportunities
Generative Filters
Use AI to dynamically generate filter options based on a user’s query, visual preferences, or even uploaded images—reducing friction and tailoring results in real time.
Style-Based Search Prompts
Introduce conversational search entry points like “Find me an outfit for a summer wedding” powered by generative AI, turning vague intent into structured, shoppable queries.
Smart Summaries for Product Clarity
Leverage AI to summarize product reviews and details, helping users quickly gauge fit, style, or quality—especially useful in visual-heavy environments.
Personalization at Scale
Use generative models to create hyper-personalized collections or style boards from past engagement data, evolving Pinterest from inspiration to intelligent curation.
🔮 Future Opportunities
Generative Filters
Use AI to dynamically generate filter options based on a user’s query, visual preferences, or even uploaded images—reducing friction and tailoring results in real time.
Style-Based Search Prompts
Introduce conversational search entry points like “Find me an outfit for a summer wedding” powered by generative AI, turning vague intent into structured, shoppable queries.
Smart Summaries for Product Clarity
Leverage AI to summarize product reviews and details, helping users quickly gauge fit, style, or quality—especially useful in visual-heavy environments.
Personalization at Scale
Use generative models to create hyper-personalized collections or style boards from past engagement data, evolving Pinterest from inspiration to intelligent curation.
More work this way
Jered Snyder
Product designer, empowering users through thoughtful design.
Jered Snyder 2025©
Jered Snyder
Product designer, empowering users through
thoughtful design.
Jered Snyder 2025©
Jered Snyder
Product designer, empowering users through thoughtful design.
Jered Snyder 2025©
