UserTesting

This year’s illumi Award winners were celebrated in a BIG way—live on stage at THiS Connect and then we headed over to Times Square, where we shined a light on our winners at the NASDAQ sign. The illumi Awards are UserTesting’s global customer awards—now in their fourth year—created to celebrate the brands that are crafting exceptional customer experiences with UserTesting. These awards recognize true excellence in using human insight to drive innovation, transformation, and world-class experiences. This year’s 21 winners are using human insight to innovate faster, make smarter decisions, and drive meaningful impact. Cheers to that! #BuiltWithUserTesting Cathay Pacific L'Oréal UPS Phoenix Group Groundworks NAB B&Q Gymshark Vitality Credit Sesame Thuja Foundation Blue Cross Blue Shield Association CDK Global Gousto Home Chef Iberia Merck Life Science N26 Nuveen, a TIAA company Sage Salesforce

You didn’t fail. Your assumptions did. You built the campaign. Launched the ads. Watched the metrics trickle in. And realized—too late—that something didn’t land. The messaging. The creative. The strategy. What if you could spot those misses before launch day? That’s what this guide is all about. It shows you how to validate your ideas—messaging, creative, and all—before they go live. So you’re not optimizing too late. You’re getting it right from the start. Download the guide and launch with confidence: https://lnkd.in/e5BSizw3

Before you build the bot, build trust. 🤖 AI-powered shopping and support experiences are the future, but if your chatbot frustrates or creeps out customers, the damage is real. This blog explores how top brands are validating AI features before launch to ensure emotional connection, trust, and usability - not just technical performance. Learn the 3 steps to test your AI the right way, before it goes live. https://lnkd.in/ep3EUnrs

Great products aren’t just built. They’re validated with real users from day one. Salesforce, Sage, Nuveen, a TIAA company, and Thuja Foundation built smarter, faster, and with confidence—thanks to real-time human insight. All four are 2025 Illumi Award winners recognized for innovation that starts (and succeeds) with the customer voice. See all the winners here: https://lnkd.in/eiimC-S8

Marketers - let’s be real, your content isn’t performing like it used to. But maybe the answer isn’t louder, faster, more. At Content Marketing World this September, Omar Akhtar, our Director of Content Marketing, will be talking about how we get back to why we create content in the first place: to connect with people. Join this virtual session on August 13th to get a preview of his tips on how to shake off the noise and create with intention. https://bit.ly/4oh3ihL

Messaging that lands isn’t magic; but it can feel like it. ✨ This week on the Insights Unlocked podcast, Jimi Gibson of Thrive Internet Marketing Agency shares how empathy, clarity, and a little message testing can transform your brand story. Learn why clear beats clever, and how to align your messaging with what people actually want. Also in this issue: – A must-read guide to building (and protecting) your brand reputation – A practical webinar on staying relevant in a fast-changing market – A quick look at how NRG Energy uses customer insights to drive impact in their marketing Listen in, learn more, and see how real brands are winning with insights.

Congrats to our partners at Figma on their IPO! 🎉 We're proud to support the design community with you - cheers to building better workflows for our users together 🥂

AI won’t replace researchers. But it will redefine what great research looks like. In his latest post, Jason Giles, our VP of Product Design, explores how Gen AI is shifting the research landscape—.from overworked data collectors to insight-driven strategists. ✨ The takeaway? AI gives researchers something they desperately need: time. Time to interpret, advocate, and lead with empathy. Read why the future of research is faster, more human, and more impactful than ever. https://lnkd.in/g2iA2z9G

What if the economy never returns to “normal”? That’s the reality businesses are facing as tariffs reshape markets and margins. The New York Post explores what’s next, and a new study we commissioned with Talker Research reveals the stakes, like: 🔎 81% of business leaders say it’s harder than ever to keep up with customer expectations. In times of uncertainty, companies can’t afford to guess. They need real human insight to make decisions that actually resonate. Read the article: https://lnkd.in/eQdH-Z2F

In financial services, trust is everything—and these brands are earning it. Phoenix Group, NAB, Credit Sesame, and N26 used real customer insight to redesign key journeys and boost retention, conversions, and satisfaction. They’re not just improving UX—they’re delivering meaningful business outcomes. All four are 2025 Illumi Award winners for championing human insight at the heart of financial innovation. See who else took home the prize this year: https://lnkd.in/eiimC-S8