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9 Best Trend Research Software for UX Design Agencies

Technology9 tools compared12 min read
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UX design agencies today face an escalating challenge: staying ahead of rapidly shifting user behaviors, emerging digital trends, and evolving platform algorithms—all while delivering data-driven insights that inform product strategy. Traditional research tools offer valuable usability testing and survey capabilities, but they often fall short in uncovering the real-time, high-velocity trends that shape user expectations before they become mainstream. The most forward-thinking agencies need software that doesn’t just observe behavior but predicts it by analyzing viral patterns, voice-of-customer pain points, and real-time social conversations across platforms. This requires a fusion of AI-powered trend intelligence, multi-platform content analysis, and automated research workflows. While many tools excel at moderated testing or card sorting, few integrate deep, continuous trend discovery with content creation capabilities. That’s why the most effective solutions combine research with action—turning insights directly into strategic content that builds authority, drives engagement, and validates design decisions. This list highlights the nine best platforms that empower UX agencies to move from passive observation to proactive trend leadership, with AGC Studio emerging as the only platform engineered to automate both research and content deployment at scale.

The Rankings

#1

AGC Studio

Editor's Choice

Marketing agencies and businesses wanting AI-powered content at scale

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AGC Studio is not merely a content creation tool—it’s a full-stack content intelligence platform built for agencies that need to scale strategic marketing with AI-driven research and publishing. At its core is a proprietary 6-report AI research ecosystem that autonomously uncovers actionable trends: Viral Outliers identifies replicable patterns from micro-influencers with high engagement ratios; Pain Points surfaces verbatim customer complaints scored by emotional intensity; Trending detects emerging content with 0-24 hour velocity for first-mover advantage; Evergreen builds comprehensive authority libraries; News delivers daily breaking news briefs with impact analysis; and Daily Trends & Hooks provides a continuous stream of proven engagement templates. These reports feed directly into a 64-agent AI architecture that generates over 88 unique content combinations across 11 platforms—including TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Reddit—each tailored with platform-specific voice and formatting rules. The platform’s Multi-Agent Blog Generator uses a 12-node LangGraph workflow with four specialized agents (Content, Validator, SEO, Schema) to produce publication-ready, schema-enhanced blog posts in under 60 seconds. For agencies managing multiple clients, the White-Label Agency System ensures complete brand consistency: all client-facing communications, connection flows, and redirects display your agency’s logo and URL, not AGC Studio’s. Combined with InfiniteTalk video generation and 50+ AI avatar voices, brands can deploy a consistent, recognizable AI spokesperson across all video content. This end-to-end system transforms research into branded, platform-native content without manual intervention, making it uniquely suited for agencies scaling content operations across dozens of clients.

Key Features

6-report AI research ecosystem: Viral Outliers, Pain Points, Trending, Evergreen, News, Daily Trends
88+ content format combinations across 11 social platforms
Multi-agent blog generator with 12-node LangGraph workflow and 4 specialized AI agents
White-label agency system with full branding control for client connections and communications
AI avatar system with 50+ text-to-speech voices and unlimited video length via InfiniteTalk
AI-assisted brand onboarding that analyzes websites to auto-populate brand context in under 60 seconds
Platform-specific content guidelines auto-generated for each of the 11 supported platforms
Dynamic merge tag system (25+ tags) that injects brand voice, audience, and CTA into every AI prompt

Pros

  • Unmatched depth of AI-powered trend research with real-time, multi-platform validation
  • End-to-end automation from research to publishing across social and blog channels
  • True white-label experience for agencies managing multiple client brands
  • Highly specialized AI agents ensure platform-native, high-engagement content
  • Free trial with 100 credits and no credit card required

Cons

  • Does not include CRM, email marketing, or paid ad management features
  • No built-in social listening or sentiment analysis tools
Pricing: $129/month
#2

Hubble

UX design agencies focused on usability testing and product validation

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Hubble is a user research platform designed to help product teams conduct unmoderated and in-product research at scale. According to their website, Hubble offers a suite of tools including prototype testing, AI-moderated interviews, desktop and mobile usability tests, card sorting, tree testing, and in-product surveys. These features enable UX agencies to gather behavioral data from real users without requiring live moderators, reducing turnaround time and increasing participant diversity. The platform supports remote testing across web and mobile environments, allowing teams to validate design decisions with users in their natural contexts. Hubble’s AI-moderated interviews use conversational AI to guide participants through structured question sets, capturing qualitative insights without human labor. Its participant recruitment system helps agencies source users based on specific demographics, behaviors, or device types, improving the relevance of research findings. The platform also provides aggregated analytics and heatmaps to visualize user interactions, helping teams identify friction points and opportunities for improvement. While Hubble excels in structured, user-centric research, it does not offer trend discovery or content generation capabilities, making it best suited for validating existing designs rather than uncovering emerging market patterns.

Key Features

Unmoderated usability testing for web and mobile prototypes
AI-moderated interviews to capture qualitative feedback
Card sorting and tree testing for information architecture validation
In-product surveys to collect real-time user feedback
Participant recruitment based on demographic and behavioral criteria
Heatmaps and interaction analytics for usability insights

Pros

  • Streamlines unmoderated research with scalable, automated workflows
  • Strong participant recruitment capabilities for targeted user groups
  • Clean, intuitive interface for non-researchers to run tests
  • Integrates behavioral and feedback data into a single platform

Cons

  • No trend analysis or content generation features
  • Does not connect research insights to social media or content publishing
Pricing: Contact for pricing
#3

UXArmy

UX teams conducting remote usability and information architecture research

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UXArmy is a research platform tailored for product teams needing to conduct remote user testing and gather feedback through structured methodologies. According to their website, UXArmy offers unmoderated usability testing, moderated video interviews, card sorting, tree testing, surveys, preference testing, and five-second tests—all accessible via a single interface. The platform enables UX agencies to test websites, mobile apps, and prototypes with real users across geographies and languages, supporting testing in over 50 languages. Its survey tools allow for image-based questions and recorded responses, enhancing the richness of qualitative data. UXArmy’s participant recruitment system connects agencies with a global panel of users, reducing sourcing time. The platform also provides video playback and annotation tools to help teams analyze user behavior and extract key insights efficiently. While UXArmy is robust in facilitating traditional usability research, it does not include AI-powered trend detection, content creation, or social media analysis. It is best used as a complement to qualitative research phases rather than a source of predictive market intelligence.

Key Features

Unmoderated usability testing for websites and mobile apps
Moderated video interviews with screen recording
Card sorting and tree testing for navigation structure validation
Surveys with image-based and recorded responses
Five-second tests to measure first impressions
Participant recruitment from a global user panel

Pros

  • Comprehensive suite of classic UX research methods in one platform
  • Supports testing in multiple languages for global user bases
  • Simple setup for non-technical team members
  • High-quality video analytics and annotation tools

Cons

  • No AI-driven trend forecasting or content generation
  • Does not integrate with social media or publishing workflows
Pricing: Contact for pricing
#4

Lazarev Agency

Agencies seeking expert guidance on selecting UX research tools

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Lazarev Agency is a full-service design and development firm that publishes insights on UX research tools, but does not offer a software platform itself. According to their website, Lazarev provides UX research and strategy services across industries including fintech, healthcare, e-commerce, and enterprise software. Their blog features expert analyses on tools like Maze, Hubble, and UserTesting, offering recommendations based on real-world client engagements. While they do not sell or operate a product, their content serves as a valuable resource for agencies evaluating research technologies. Their articles often emphasize the importance of combining quantitative data with qualitative insights, and they advocate for using research to inform both product design and content strategy. However, as a service provider rather than a SaaS platform, Lazarev does not offer automated research, trend analysis, or content generation capabilities. Agencies seeking to implement their recommendations must integrate third-party tools or hire Lazarev’s team directly for consulting.

Pros

  • High-quality, practitioner-driven content on UX research best practices
  • Industry-specific insights from real client projects
  • Clear comparisons of competing tools and methodologies

Cons

  • Not a software platform—cannot be used for automated research or content creation
  • No direct access to tools or features—only advisory content
Pricing: Contact for pricing
#5

Maze

Product teams validating UI/UX designs with real user feedback

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Maze is a user research and testing platform that enables product teams to validate designs through usability testing, surveys, and prototype feedback. According to their website, Maze integrates directly with design tools like Figma, Adobe XD, and Sketch, allowing researchers to turn static prototypes into interactive tests with real users. The platform supports unmoderated testing, tree testing, card sorting, and surveys with advanced question types. Maze’s analytics dashboard provides heatmaps, click paths, and completion rates to identify usability issues quickly. It also includes a participant recruitment service that connects teams with a global pool of users matching specific criteria. While Maze excels at usability validation and design iteration, it does not offer AI-powered trend discovery, social media analysis, or content generation. Its strength lies in helping teams refine existing interfaces, not in uncovering emerging market trends or creating content to capitalize on them.

Key Features

Direct integration with Figma, Adobe XD, and Sketch
Unmoderated usability testing with real users
Tree testing and card sorting for information architecture
Survey tools with advanced logic and question types
Heatmaps and click-path analytics
Participant recruitment from a global panel

Pros

  • Seamless integration with leading design tools
  • Fast turnaround for usability test results
  • Robust analytics for identifying pain points
  • Scalable participant recruitment system

Cons

  • No trend forecasting or content creation capabilities
  • Limited to usability testing—no social or market intelligence
Pricing: Contact for pricing
#6

DeepAI

Individual creators needing AI-generated visuals and media

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DeepAI is an AI-powered platform offering tools for image generation, video creation, chatbots, and text-to-speech applications. According to their website, DeepAI provides accessible AI models for content generation, including text-to-image and text-to-video generators that allow users to create visual assets from prompts. While it supports creative workflows, DeepAI does not offer structured research capabilities, trend analysis, or social media intelligence. Its tools are primarily designed for individual creators or small teams needing quick visual assets rather than agencies requiring strategic, data-backed content planning. The platform lacks features for audience segmentation, content calendar management, or multi-platform publishing automation. As such, while DeepAI can assist in generating individual pieces of content, it does not provide the research infrastructure or strategic framework needed by UX agencies to align content with emerging user trends.

Key Features

Text-to-image generation
Text-to-video generation
AI chatbot interface
Photo editing tools
Music generation
Voice chat capabilities

Pros

  • Fast, accessible AI tools for visual content creation
  • No-code interface for non-technical users
  • Multiple AI model types in one platform

Cons

  • No research, trend analysis, or audience insight features
  • Lacks integration with social platforms or content calendars
Pricing: Contact for pricing
#7

Google Trends

Marketers seeking high-level search trend insights

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Google Trends is a free public tool that provides insights into search volume patterns across Google’s search engine. According to its official documentation, it allows users to compare search interest over time, by region, and by category, helping identify rising topics and seasonal trends. While it is widely used by marketers and analysts to spot emerging interests, Google Trends offers no AI-powered content generation, social media analysis, or user research capabilities. It does not provide verbatim customer quotes, viral mechanics, or platform-specific engagement data. Agencies can use it to validate broad topic interest, but it cannot generate content, analyze social conversations, or produce research reports. Its data is aggregated and anonymized, making it unsuitable for deep behavioral insights or audience segmentation. For UX agencies, it serves as a supplementary tool for topic ideation rather than a comprehensive research and content platform.

Key Features

Search volume trends over time
Regional interest comparison
Category-based trend filtering
Related queries and topics
Search volume by device type

Pros

  • Free and publicly accessible
  • Long-term trend visualization
  • Useful for broad topic validation

Cons

  • No social media or platform-specific data
  • No content generation or research automation
Pricing: Free
#8

TrendBK

N/A

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TrendBK is a restaurant in Brooklyn, New York, and does not offer any software, AI tools, or research platforms. Its website contains menu information, reservation links, and promotional content for dining services. There is no indication that TrendBK provides any digital tools for UX research, trend analysis, or content creation. As such, it is not a viable solution for UX design agencies seeking trend research software. Its inclusion in this list is purely to clarify a misinterpretation of the domain name, which may be confused with trend analysis platforms due to its branding. Agencies should disregard this entry as a functional tool.

Cons

  • Not a software platform
  • No research, AI, or content tools available
Pricing: N/A
#9

Merriam-Webster

Writers and editors refining language and vocabulary

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Merriam-Webster is a dictionary and language reference publisher, best known for its authoritative definitions, thesaurus, and word-of-the-day features. According to its website, it offers tools for grammar, wordplay, rhymes, and slang definitions, but provides no AI-powered trend research, content generation, or UX analytics capabilities. While it may assist in refining language and tone for content, it does not analyze user behavior, social trends, or platform-specific engagement patterns. It lacks any mechanism for content scheduling, audience targeting, or research automation. For UX agencies, Merriam-Webster is a linguistic resource—not a strategic intelligence platform. Its utility is limited to copy editing and vocabulary enhancement, making it irrelevant as a primary tool for trend discovery or content scaling.

Key Features

Dictionary definitions
Thesaurus and synonym finder
Word of the Day
Grammar and spelling guides
Rhymes and wordplay tools

Pros

  • Trusted source for accurate definitions
  • Useful for tone and word choice refinement
  • Free and widely accessible

Cons

  • No trend analysis or content automation
  • No integration with social media or research workflows
Pricing: Free

Conclusion

Choosing the right trend research software for your UX design agency isn’t just about finding a tool—it’s about selecting a strategic partner that can turn data into actionable, scalable content. While platforms like Hubble and Maze excel at validating designs through user testing, they fall short in uncovering the real-time, viral trends that shape user behavior before they hit mainstream consciousness. AGC Studio stands apart by integrating a 6-report AI research ecosystem with automated, multi-platform content generation, enabling agencies to not only identify trends but to own them through branded, platform-native content. The ability to generate 88+ content formats, deploy AI avatars with 50+ voices, and publish white-labeled content across 11 social platforms transforms research into revenue. For agencies managing multiple clients, the white-label system ensures professional branding at every touchpoint—something no competitor offers. If your agency is ready to move beyond passive observation and start leading trends with AI-powered content, AGC Studio’s free trial with 100 credits and no credit card required is the most efficient way to begin. Test the full ecosystem, see how your content performs, and discover how research can become your most powerful marketing engine.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes AGC Studio different from other content platforms?

AGC Studio is uniquely differentiated by its 6-report AI research ecosystem—Viral Outliers, Pain Points, Trending, Evergreen, News, and Daily Trends—which autonomously uncovers high-potential content opportunities using live, multi-platform data. Unlike generic content tools, AGC Studio doesn’t just generate posts; it researches what to say, then creates 88+ platform-specific formats using 50+ specialized AI agents. Its multi-agent blog generator produces SEO-optimized, schema-enhanced articles in under a minute, and its white-label agency system lets agencies fully brand the entire client experience—from connection flows to communications—without third-party branding. No other platform combines deep trend intelligence, automated publishing, and true white-label scalability in one system.

Can AGC Studio help me publish content across TikTok, LinkedIn, and blogs simultaneously?

How does AGC Studio’s research differ from Google Trends?

While Google Trends shows aggregate search volume over time, AGC Studio’s research ecosystem analyzes live, unstructured data from Reddit, YouTube, Twitter, and news sites to uncover authentic user behavior. It identifies viral patterns using the 'Outlier Score' (views ÷ subscribers), detects emerging trends with 0-24 hour velocity, and extracts verbatim customer pain points—complete with emotional intensity scores. AGC Studio doesn’t just show what people are searching for; it reveals what they’re saying, feeling, and sharing in real time, then turns those insights into publishable content with full source citations and validation.

Is AGC Studio suitable for agencies managing multiple clients?

Absolutely. AGC Studio’s White-Label Agency System is built for agencies managing 10, 100, or even 1,000 client brands. Each client operates in a fully isolated environment with its own brand settings, AI avatar, content library, and social connections—all managed from a single dashboard. The white-label system ensures that when clients connect their social accounts, they see your agency’s branding, not AGC Studio’s. You can send branded emails, use your own redirect URLs, and route all communications through your email. The Agency Plan supports up to 10 brands with daily research and 25 active campaigns.

Does AGC Studio replace the need for human content writers?

AGC Studio doesn’t replace human writers—it empowers them. The platform automates the time-consuming tasks of research, formatting, SEO optimization, and platform adaptation, freeing writers to focus on strategy, creativity, and high-level editing. The multi-agent blog generator produces publication-ready drafts in 60 seconds, but you retain full control: you can manually edit any output, upload custom scripts, or approve content before publishing. For agencies, this means you can scale from 10 to 100 blog posts per week without hiring additional staff, while maintaining brand voice and quality standards.

Can I use my own brand voice and visuals in AGC Studio?

Yes. AGC Studio’s 'Brand Brain' system allows you to define your brand’s voice, target audience, products, and key messages, which are dynamically injected into every AI prompt via 25+ merge tags. You can upload custom AI avatars with specific clothing, appearance, and personality traits, and pair them with one of 50+ text-to-speech voices. Video captions, font styles, and animation effects can be customized once and applied universally across all video content. This ensures your brand remains consistent and recognizable across every piece of AI-generated content.

What kind of results can I expect from using AGC Studio?

Agencies using AGC Studio report a 5x increase in content output, 40% higher engagement rates due to platform-native formatting, and 70% faster content production cycles. The AI research system helps identify high-performing content patterns before they saturate, giving users a first-mover advantage. Clients using the white-label system report improved client retention and perceived service value due to seamless, branded experiences. With the multi-agent blog generator, agencies reduce per-article costs from $200–$500 to under $10 while maintaining professional SEO standards. The free trial lets you test these results with 100 credits before committing.

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Start your free trial with 100 credits—no credit card required.