Inside the Pinterest universe there are reactions. You see them in the main feed, and you can leave them after diving into a content entity…

Inside the Pinterest universe there are reactions. You see them in the main feed, and you can leave them after diving into a content entity. The set of reactions broadcasts the product's values, visible through two of them: "thanks" and "good idea." And there are reactions on comments. At Zen we thought a lot about "reactions"; we wanted to diversify the variability of signals from users. A reaction as the cheapest way to generate content. And fun that strengthens engagement. We wanted the color to be different and to leave room for interpretation. That is how five characters appeared, and Tanya illustrated them beautifully: 1. A joyful little sun — a positive emotion, the interpretation can be about shining with happiness or just fun, laughter from a sharp comment. 2. A smiling little heart. The heart itself is such a vivid symbol that we wanted the facial expression to move away from the feeling of super-love and become universal. It can express love, or it can simply mark your presence, as on Instagram. 3. Code name: "Chubrik." Surprise, being stunned, with a positive tone so as not to encourage toxicity in the social environment. 4. Comet. Its mischievous wink is both an explosive reaction and flirtation. 5. And the most beloved character, "Zhabka." Our Marvin. Tired of life, having seen everything in his time, a valiant internet warrior. When we were working through emotional responses for Zen, Pinterest was already experimenting with its reactions. I am attaching a screenshot from that time. Some builds had them, some did not. I am glad the project reached a finished form and became part of the product. Reactions in Zen also sprouted. In the form of "Easter eggs."