Pinterest.jp Localization
My Role
Researcher
Designer
About
International User Experience Design & Communication
UW HCDE individual project
Fall 2025, 2 week sprint
work in progress
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work in progress 〰️
TL;DR
The short version
Problem
While the Japanese market is known to be the gateway to the Asian market (combined market cap over $5.6 trillion dollars), many Western companies fail to successfully enter and grow in Japan due to inadequate localization for users, which is the case of Pinterest. Social media use in Japan is high (83.3% of people), but of these 104.5 million users, only 9.22 million (6.6% of the population) are active on Pinterest.
Through a 2-week sprint, I evaluated the existing pinterest.jp site to understand the biggest areas to improve and propose design recommendations.
Solution
Research on Japanese culture and consumer behavior led me to 3 main areas of focus within the iOS app onboarding flow:
Avatars & usernames: 45% of users prefer anonymous social media interaction. Introduction of an ‘avatar’ selection screen and an anonymous username displayed in the ghost text invites users to interact with anonymity by default.
Terms & conditions: Japanese consumers are slow to trust and require a lot of information before making decisions. Detailed instructions, cues of expectations for each interaction, and added Terms & Conditions upon creating an account proactively delivers information and reassurance to users to build and maintain trust.
UI density & visual design: Emphasis on conveying information over presentation, text-heavy interaction patterns, and appetite for fun, playful aesthetic, hand-drawn sketches, introduction of a mascot, and added visual density cater to Japanese users.
Impact
Feedback I received from my professor: “I find your redesigns and your rationale for them very convincing”.
To measure the success of these designs, I would use A/B testing to compare downloads and sign-ups (awareness and acquisition) and immediate engagement and usage metrics.
Additionally, since language is a critical component of localization, I would review proposed copy with native Japanese speakers to understand effectiveness of translations in meaning and tone/formality.
Welcome screen
Terms and Conditions
Account onboarding
more coming soon!
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