Pinterest's Video Evolution

Two weeks into my role as Principal Product Designer at Pinterest, I faced a pivotal challenge: the Monetization team wanted to implement autoplay video ads with sound-on by default. The revenue potential was massive, but it risked disrupting Pinterest's peaceful, trust-first environment. This wasn't just a design challenge—it was a test of how well we could balance business growth with user trust.

Role

Principal Product Designer

Team size

4 XFN Groups

Duration

2 Weeks

Challenge

Pinterest's unique value proposition has always been its serene, intentional browsing experience. But with video becoming crucial for growth, we needed to find a way to integrate video ads without shattering user trust. The stakes? Millions in potential revenue versus our core user experience.

Solution

Instead of choosing between monetization and user trust, we created harmony through "Autoplay on Linger"—a sophisticated yet intuitive approach:

Videos autoplay silently when users show interest through lingering
Audio fades in gently only after explicit user engagement
Consistent controls across all video experiences

This wasn't just a feature—it was a new design pattern that respected both user intent and business needs.

Challenge

Solution

Instead of choosing between monetization and user trust, we created harmony through "Autoplay on Linger"—a sophisticated yet intuitive approach:

Videos autoplay silently when users show interest through lingering
Audio fades in gently only after explicit user engagement
Consistent controls across all video experiences

This wasn't just a feature—it was a new design pattern that respected both user intent and business needs.

Impact

The results exceeded expectations across all metrics:

32% improvement in ad performance
47% increase in video completion rates
28% reduction in user complaints about video ads

Learnings

This project taught us that the best solutions don't compromise—they find unexpected harmony. By deeply understanding both user needs and business goals, we created a system that enhanced rather than disrupted the Pinterest experience.