Image waterfalls making a splash
By Zhu Shenshen |
June 3, 2012, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
IT'S a world of images displayed in a beautiful cascade; pinboard-style social photo sharing websites that let users find everything from the pristine kitchen for a new house to a dream hairstyle - plus the stylist who created it; from a recipe to impress your mother-in-law to professional photographs of your next holiday destination.
Taking their inspiration from United States site Pinterest, which has become one of the hottest social websites and mobile applications in the world, alongside the likes of Facebook and Twitter, dozens of similar Chinese sites have emerged in recent times.
These followers feature the same image-heavy "waterfall" layout - pubuliu in Chinese - of Pinterest, so named because the image flow is said to resemble a waterfall.
Chinese followers, known as "Pinsinty," like Pinterest feature user-created content, sharing and collecting functions and are heavily used to carry lifestyle-linked material.
Like other social photo sharing websites and image bookmarking system, they allow users to create and manage theme-based image collections, such as events, interests and hobbies.
Other users can browse pinboards for inspiration and "pin" images to their own collections and share with other users.
And though the Chinese Pinsinty sites are sometimes dismissed as simple Pinterest copies, many do feature unique innovations or advantages - at least for reaching the Chinese market.
As China has the world's No. 1 Internet and mobile phone user base, the domestic market is big enough for a number of players, giving Chinese start-ups the space to explore their Pinsinty dreams in different ways.
Classifieds that are a cut above
Shi Liangrui, founder of Hairbobo.com, wants to be the biggest agent of top hair stylists in China.
"Can you name top five hair stylists in China?" Shi asks me. "No, you can't - and nor can most people."
Hairbobo aims to create a platform for hair stylists to display their scissor work, with stylists paying a fee to register on the site. Meanwhile, consumers can browse the pictures of the latest styles, and see who is responsible for them.
Next, Hairbobo plans a database of stylists, covering location, availability and style specialties.
"Pin and waterfall are core functions for us," says Shi. "People who concerned about their hair also care about image quality and display style on a website."
Bobohair has attracted 50,000 stylists and aims to have 150,000 within two years. Each can expect to attract 100 customers, says the site.
More generally, Pinterest techniques are generating traffic and income in everything from baby care to venture capitalism.
Jimuu.com - ji mu is Chinese for building blocks - encourages users to upload design ideas for home decor. Links lead to online shops.
Related sites:
www.hairbobo.com
www.jimuu.com
The convergence of fashion and e-commerce
"This is a perfect place for window shopping online," Meilishuo.com welcomes their users on main pages.
However, Meilishuo and similar sites, including Mogujie.com and Vancl Star, which feature pin functionality and waterfall display, have one clear target - bringing in real income.
Users uploads photographs of themselves at their fashionable best, and last year more than 500,000 people registered with Vancl Star, contributing 700,000 displays.
Where a look attracts positive comments, this will inevitably lead to the question the site owners want to hear: "Where can I buy it?"
The answer is to be found in a link to online stockists, including those on Taobao, China's biggest online auction website.
"Fashion coordination in Pinterest style not only encourages consumer innovation, but also boosts sales for us," said a Vancl official.
Pinterest style - with good picture display and a huge female user base - seems a perfect match for online fashion stores. Mogujie has more than 6 million users, growing at up to 30 percent a month.
Related sites:
www.meilishuo.com
www.mogujie.com
http://star.vancl.com
Pure Pinterest for collecting favorites
"Every Huaban user has their own webpage based on various interests and taste," says Liu Pingyang, founder of Huaban.
Huaban - which means petals in Chinese - allows users to collect favorite pictures based on their interests, like collecting petals from flowers.
Before creating Huaban, Liu was founder of Yupoo, a photo sharing site for professional photographers. Therefore, Huaban's simple but impressive waterfall style was already popular with designers and photographers.
Huaban and the similar Duitang - which encourages users to show their life and favorite things - are now leaders in the sector. They follow key Pinterest style: waterfall display, collection and sharing and an interest group. Unlike other Chinese Pinterest-style sites featured here, these are not commercial enterprises, at least not for now. Duitang aims to cash in through advertising but it won't happen in a near future.
The most popular interest groups on the sites are fashion, decor, cooking and travel.
Related sites:
http://huaban.com
www.duitang.com
Taking their inspiration from United States site Pinterest, which has become one of the hottest social websites and mobile applications in the world, alongside the likes of Facebook and Twitter, dozens of similar Chinese sites have emerged in recent times.
These followers feature the same image-heavy "waterfall" layout - pubuliu in Chinese - of Pinterest, so named because the image flow is said to resemble a waterfall.
Chinese followers, known as "Pinsinty," like Pinterest feature user-created content, sharing and collecting functions and are heavily used to carry lifestyle-linked material.
Like other social photo sharing websites and image bookmarking system, they allow users to create and manage theme-based image collections, such as events, interests and hobbies.
Other users can browse pinboards for inspiration and "pin" images to their own collections and share with other users.
And though the Chinese Pinsinty sites are sometimes dismissed as simple Pinterest copies, many do feature unique innovations or advantages - at least for reaching the Chinese market.
As China has the world's No. 1 Internet and mobile phone user base, the domestic market is big enough for a number of players, giving Chinese start-ups the space to explore their Pinsinty dreams in different ways.
Classifieds that are a cut above
Shi Liangrui, founder of Hairbobo.com, wants to be the biggest agent of top hair stylists in China.
"Can you name top five hair stylists in China?" Shi asks me. "No, you can't - and nor can most people."
Hairbobo aims to create a platform for hair stylists to display their scissor work, with stylists paying a fee to register on the site. Meanwhile, consumers can browse the pictures of the latest styles, and see who is responsible for them.
Next, Hairbobo plans a database of stylists, covering location, availability and style specialties.
"Pin and waterfall are core functions for us," says Shi. "People who concerned about their hair also care about image quality and display style on a website."
Bobohair has attracted 50,000 stylists and aims to have 150,000 within two years. Each can expect to attract 100 customers, says the site.
More generally, Pinterest techniques are generating traffic and income in everything from baby care to venture capitalism.
Jimuu.com - ji mu is Chinese for building blocks - encourages users to upload design ideas for home decor. Links lead to online shops.
Related sites:
www.hairbobo.com
www.jimuu.com
The convergence of fashion and e-commerce
"This is a perfect place for window shopping online," Meilishuo.com welcomes their users on main pages.
However, Meilishuo and similar sites, including Mogujie.com and Vancl Star, which feature pin functionality and waterfall display, have one clear target - bringing in real income.
Users uploads photographs of themselves at their fashionable best, and last year more than 500,000 people registered with Vancl Star, contributing 700,000 displays.
Where a look attracts positive comments, this will inevitably lead to the question the site owners want to hear: "Where can I buy it?"
The answer is to be found in a link to online stockists, including those on Taobao, China's biggest online auction website.
"Fashion coordination in Pinterest style not only encourages consumer innovation, but also boosts sales for us," said a Vancl official.
Pinterest style - with good picture display and a huge female user base - seems a perfect match for online fashion stores. Mogujie has more than 6 million users, growing at up to 30 percent a month.
Related sites:
www.meilishuo.com
www.mogujie.com
http://star.vancl.com
Pure Pinterest for collecting favorites
"Every Huaban user has their own webpage based on various interests and taste," says Liu Pingyang, founder of Huaban.
Huaban - which means petals in Chinese - allows users to collect favorite pictures based on their interests, like collecting petals from flowers.
Before creating Huaban, Liu was founder of Yupoo, a photo sharing site for professional photographers. Therefore, Huaban's simple but impressive waterfall style was already popular with designers and photographers.
Huaban and the similar Duitang - which encourages users to show their life and favorite things - are now leaders in the sector. They follow key Pinterest style: waterfall display, collection and sharing and an interest group. Unlike other Chinese Pinterest-style sites featured here, these are not commercial enterprises, at least not for now. Duitang aims to cash in through advertising but it won't happen in a near future.
The most popular interest groups on the sites are fashion, decor, cooking and travel.
Related sites:
http://huaban.com
www.duitang.com
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