Pinterest's Visual Search Engine

Visual search is gaining traction and relevance as a reliable search method. Advances in computer vision combined to the consumer euphoria derived from social media and e-commerce has brought on the rise of new platforms where online advertisement is welcomed with open arms by consumers. This thesis tackles the fundamentals of the application of computer vision technology to visual search engines, as well as its integration to social media platforms for e-commerce purposes. In order to do so, Pinterest in particular, with other visual search start ups are scrutinzed in the form of case studies after going through the essential principles of computer vision and its application to e-commerce. You will also find a thorough study of Pinterest as a company and as a visual search service provider. The goal of this thesis was to measure and examine the effectiveness of the visual search capabilities of industry leaders, in order to evaluate the strength of Pinterest in that particular technological field.