Let’s be honest—most UX research stacks weren’t designed for today’s workflows. What started as a thoughtful patchwork of scheduling tools, survey platforms, video analysis software, and spreadsheets has become a burden.
Now that product teams are shipping faster, headcount is leaner, and AI is everywhere, research teams are asking:
Do we still need all these tools? Or is there a smarter way?
The answer isn’t “just add AI.” It’s rebuilding the research stack around the way modern teams actually work—and around what researchers actually need.
Why the Old Stack Is Breaking Down
1. It’s Too Slow for Agile Cycles
Multiple tools stitched together mean multiple exports, logins, uploads, and manual steps. That’s time UX teams don’t have—especially in sprint-based environments.
2. It’s Built Around Moderation, Not Scale
Legacy research stacks were built assuming most research would be live, moderated, and resource-intensive. Today, research needs to scale without scheduling, without bandwidth bottlenecks.
3. Synthesis Happens Too Late
Many tools stop at data collection. Analysis still lives in Google Docs, Miro boards spreadsheets, or (let’s be honest) in your head during a slide deck build. That creates lag between feedback and action—and puts pressure on researchers to act as translators instead of collaborators.
4. It’s Not Designed for Cross-Functional Access
When research tools are locked behind seat-based pricing or clunky interfaces, research stays siloed. But product teams want answers. Designers want validation. Marketers want clarity. And they don’t want to wait.
What the New Stack Looks Like
Leading research teams in 2025 are simplifying. Instead of stitching 6 tools together, they’re using integrated platforms that deliver:
- Unmoderated testing workflows that run asynchronously across devices
- Automated analysis tools to reduce time from session to insight
- Usage-based pricing that enables more teams to run tests
- AI-powered features that remove repetitive manual work
- Clean, UX-friendly interfaces that PMs and designers can use, too
This new stack doesn’t just add AI—it removes friction. It shortens feedback loops. It increases research visibility. And it aligns with how teams already work.
Where FC UX Fits
FC UX is designed to be the central engine of this modern stack. Rather than being just another tool, it replaces multiple steps in the traditional workflow with one cohesive platform:
| Traditional Tool | Replaced By FC UX |
| Scheduling tools | Unmoderated task builder |
| Video hosting/analysis | Screen + voice capture with automated transcripts |
| Manual tagging/highlighting | AI-generated summaries + Ask AI |
| Slide building | Instant insights + exportable clips |
| Sourcing participants through multiple vendors | Integrated recruitment panels or bring-your-own participants |
| Seat-based licensing models | Usage-based access across teams |
The result? More insights, fewer tools, and less friction.
How to Rethink Your Stack (Without Overhauling Overnight)
You don’t need to throw everything out. Start by asking:
- What tools are slowing me down most?
- Where am I duplicating effort across platforms?
- Where could automation give me back time?
- What steps could non-researchers take on—if they had the right access?
Then try running one end-to-end project in FC UX. From test setup to participant feedback to insight delivery—you’ll know immediately where time is saved.
Final Thought: AI Won’t Save a Broken Stack. But It Can Power a Better One.
Modern UX teams are building stacks around speed, flexibility, and strategic insight, not legacy workflows.
FC UX wasn’t built to live in the middle of five other platforms.
It was built to replace them.
Want to see what a streamlined UX research stack looks like in action?
Book a personalized FC UX demo
