#USA #Generative AI #New Haven #Touchstone Research #UX Research

Touchstone Research Launches Generative AI UX Research Practice

On October 21, 2025, Touchstone Research (TSR), a leader in full-service market research, announced the introduction of its Generative AI UX Research and Usability Testing practice. This marks a significant step as it becomes the first dedicated offering in the market, specifically tailored to enhance how organizations develop AI-powered products. The practice is grounded in insights derived from over 50 comprehensive studies, aiming to assist teams in designing, testing, and refining user experiences through a human-centered approach focused on trust, transparency, and usability.

Bridging the User Experience Gap

As the rush to develop various generative AI applications, including chatbots and creative tools, escalates, firms are increasingly grappling with understanding user interactions with these technologies. Touchstone's new practice is designed to uncover the complexities of how real users engage with intelligent systems. By integrating human experience into technology development, the aim is to ensure products are not only advanced but also feel natural and reliable to users from the very beginning.

CEO Aaron Burch emphasized the need for this innovative practice: "Generative technology is evolving at an incredible pace, but people's expectations and understanding take time to catch up. Our Generative AI UX Research practice gives teams the insight they need to create advanced products that feel natural, usable, and trustworthy for users from day one."

Understanding the Human Interaction with Generative Technology

Traditional user experience research methods often fall short in capturing the dynamic nature of interactions with generative technologies. Touchstone's tailored approach employs usability testing, behavioral observation, interactive flow analysis, and quantitative validation to delve into how users create mental models, build trust, and adapt their behaviors across varied generative experiences.

Key focal points of the practice include:

• - Usability Testing for Generative Interfaces: Assessing how users navigate and interpret responses from systems.
• - Prompt Flow and Interaction Analysis: Observing how users craft and refine inputs to achieve desired outcomes.
• - Longitudinal and In-Context Research: Capturing behavioral adaptations and emotional responses over time.
• - Quantitative Validation: Measuring metrics such as satisfaction, confidence, and comprehension levels.
• - Flexible Engagement Models: Supporting quick-turn usability sprints and ongoing research programs.

The Generative AI UX team has conducted over 50 studies focusing on conversational assistants and enterprise AI tools, which have shed light on user perceptions of intelligence, identified friction points, and established factors that contribute to lasting trust in AI-enabled experiences.

Burch further commented, "We're enabling companies to create technologies that are not just smart but also intuitive and ethical for users. Whether it concerns a conversational system, creative application, or any enterprise integration, our goal is to ensure every generative experience feels approachable, transparent, and rooted in genuine human behavior."

About Touchstone Research

Founded in 1991, Touchstone Research is recognized for its commitment to technology-driven market research. The firm provides an array of qualitative, quantitative, UX, and hybrid research solutions to global clients across various sectors, including technology, media, entertainment, education, CPG, and healthcare. Known for its proprietary techniques like Secure Content Testing and Dial Tester, the company emphasizes quality, privacy, and security, holding designations such as SOC 2 Type II.

To explore how Touchstone Research's Generative AI UX Research Services can help brands foster human-centered digital experiences, visit their website and discover the innovative approach to understanding the implications of generative technology on user experience.