The startup “that helps companies fix their user experience problems”

Davey Alba explains in Wired how UserTesting runs an online panel of over 1 million testers—volunteers mostly—who can test products and other company materials on demand. :

“The company has developed a way for businesses to “peek over” the shoulders of users and hear candid comments about their experiences with everything from web portals to smartphone apps. […]

When a customer requests testing via the service, UserTesting sends emails or phone notifications to the individuals with the requested attributes, and within minutes, Benatar claims, about ten people will sign on to test the site or app in question.

The service then records the experiences of these users as well as any comments they might have. On smartphones, it can even use built-in camera to record a user’s facial expressions or how they fiddle with physical devices, like a Nest smart thermostat. These volunteers are paid about $10 for building a roughly 20-minute video describing their experiences.”