What it means to build for market research
Nobody needs technology for technology’s sake.
What market research teams do need are tools that fit the reality of the work: The deadlines, the complexity, and the constant pressure to do more with less. That may sound obvious, but in practice, plenty of platforms still expect researchers to bend to the software, rather than creating platforms that meet researchers’ needs straight off the bat.
So, what does it really take to build for market research?
We spoke to Debi Hart, VP Product Manager at Forsta, about the thinking behind Research HX, how development decisions get made, and why staying close to real research workflows matters so much.
What ‘built for market research’ really means
When Forsta says it’s ‘built for market research’, what does that look like in practice?
At its core, it comes down to understanding the work itself.
All companies rely on customer feedback, but we take it a step further. Forsta’s solutions are specifically designed to support agencies and in-house insights teams, shaped by a deep understanding of the workflows behind how research gets done. That level of domain expertise doesn’t sit in one team either.
Our client support team, tech support team, and even account managers have over 10 years of experience in Market Research – many of them coming from the client side. Our platform engineers also have years of experience with our products and MR. The result is a platform that isn’t trying to retrofit research into a generic system, but one that’s built for market research around the realities of the job.
Where do ideas come from, and how do they move from suggestion to something that’s built?
Ideas come from everywhere: Clients, internal market research teams, product owners, and engineering. But the most valuable ideas tend to come from collaboration – taking those inputs and refining them into something that can deliver real value.
Once ideas are shaped, they’re prioritised in partnership with market research leadership. Roadmaps are developed and then shared with key clients to sense-check direction: What resonates, what’s missing, and what would make the biggest difference in practice.
There’s also a more structured way of capturing input. Client-facing teams gather feedback continuously, and those suggestions are fed into a crowdsourcing tool where the wider organisation can vote on what matters most. The highest-priority ideas are then pulled into future roadmaps.
Not everything can get built, but the goal isn’t to meet every individual request; it’s to create the most value for the largest number of researchers.
A lot of companies talk about feedback loops. What does that look like in practice?
Feedback is only useful if it leads to something actionable. At Forsta, that means combining external input from clients with internal expertise from teams who understand market research deeply. Ideas are validated internally, then put in front of clients as early as possible to test how they perform in real-world scenarios.
That iterative loop – build, test, refine – continues until a product is not just technically complete, but genuinely useful in practice. In other words, when we get to ‘done-done’. It might sound like a subtle distinction, but it’s the difference between simply releasing a feature and knowing it actually works in the context it was designed for.
Many platforms expect researchers to adapt their workflows. Forsta has taken a different approach – why?
Because the work is already complex enough. Research teams are juggling multiple projects, stakeholders, and timelines. Asking them to fundamentally change how they operate just to fit a tool creates more friction than it removes.
Instead, the focus is on understanding how clients already work and then building solutions that make those workflows more efficient. That understanding comes from staying close to the industry.
Our teams regularly engage with clients, attend conferences and webinars, and follow emerging trends to ensure the platform continues to reflect how research is evolving. The aim isn’t to redesign the way researchers work. It’s to make the existing workflow smoother, faster, and more intuitive.
Forsta has a lot of market research expertise embedded in its teams. Does that genuinely change the outcome?
Absolutely! Having people involved in product development who’ve worked on the operational side of market research brings a different level of understanding. They know what good looks like, where things typically go wrong, and where efficiencies can be gained without sacrificing control or methodological rigor. That balance is important.
It’s not just about making processes faster. It’s about making them more efficient while still giving researchers the flexibility and precision they need to do their jobs properly. It’s hard to do that without understanding the realities of research.
There’s an ongoing debate in software between tech-first and product-first. Where does Forsta sit?
Forsta is firmly product-first. That means technology is used as an enabler. New capabilities are only developed if there’s a clear benefit for the end user.
We’re not interested in building cool technology for its own sake. If it doesn’t fit into our product strategy or make a researcher’s jobs easier, it doesn’t get built.
This approach is particularly important as new technologies – including AI – continue to evolve. Our focus will always remain on how those capabilities can be applied in a way that adds value within real workflows, rather than chasing innovation for the sake of it.
You’ve worked across different organisations. What stands out about how Forsta builds?
Two things really stand out. The first is focus. Having leadership support to stay aligned on priorities makes a big difference. In many organisations, shifting priorities can make it difficult to deliver anything meaningful. At Forsta, there’s a clear direction, which allows teams to follow through on what they set out to do.
The second is collaboration. There’s a strong sense of shared ownership across teams, with people working together to improve the product rather than operating in silos. It’s less about individual ownership and more about shared goals. We leave egos at the door, we have fun, and we deliver meaningful value for our customers.
Why this matters for research teams
As research teams face increasing pressure to move faster, handle more data, and deliver clearer insights, the tools they rely on are under more scrutiny than ever.
The difference isn’t just in what platforms can do, but in how they’re built – and whether they genuinely reflect the realities of the work researchers do every day. The most effective research environments reflect this – connecting data, automation, and human expertise in workflows that keep researchers firmly in the loop.
Building for market research isn’t about technology alone; it’s about understanding the work well enough to make it better.
Debi Hart, VP Product Manager
Debi Hart leads the development of Research HX at Forsta, a seamless, integrated platform designed specifically for market researchers. With over 20 years of experience in technology, product development, and market research, Debi has been at the forefront of incorporating AI into cutting-edge tools that empower researchers to unlock deeper insights and drive meaningful action.
Discover more about what it means to use text built for market research by exploring our solutions.