Just like a viral YouTube video or Reality TV star, Pinterest’s popularity seems to have exploded overnight. With more than 10 million users, Pinterest is holding its own with fellow social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.

What’s it all about?
Pinterest is an online community where—as its name implies—you can pin different pictures that you find interesting. Here are some cliff notes at a glance:

• Categorize boards:  Pin pictures onto “virtual pinboards” that are categorized by your interests—from recipes to books to vacations.
• Share Pictures:  Follow friends, comment on pictures, re-pin posts and label pictures as your “favorite.
• Referral Traffic:  It’s a new channel for ideas and products to go viral, which is why it is becoming a popular venue for retail companies.

Basically, instead of bookmarking websites, Pinterest assembles everything into one place that is conveniently categorized by interests, popularity and even gift ideas.

Inspiring Our Creative Team
At MOVE, we regularly benchmark websites for design inspiration—and now it seems pinning is entering our creative process and project meetings. Thanks to Pinterest we can get lots of design inspiration in one place and more easily organize our design finds from other sites.

Jamie Bolak, our Creative Manager/Senior Art Director, has a board for Inspiration Ideas, Websites to Check Out, Logos and my personal favorite –“Digital Publishing Baby!” Fresh color palettes and clean-looking logos get Jamie’s creative juices flowing for when it really counts—client projects.

When I’m not seeing wedding pins from our newly engaged Art Director, Nikki Paffi, or style and recipe pins from other “pinners” I’m following, my Pinterest home page sports Nikki’s stylish pattern and clever design pins.

No matter how you use Pinterest—or profit from it like those lucky retailers out there—Happy Pinning from us at MOVE!

Research By: Katelynd Park