How to Build Your Own Lookback
Replace Lookback with a custom build. User research platform for remote moderated and unmoderated studies
Build Difficulty: 5/5
Build a working replacement in a weekend with AI tools
Estimated Timeline
Based on 41 features at Weekend Project difficulty, expect about One weekend with AI-assisted development.
Recommended Tech Stack
Full-stack React framework with API routes and server components
PostgreSQL database, auth, and real-time subscriptions
Utility-first styling for rapid UI development
Key Features to Replicate
Top features across 8 categories. See all 41 features
AI Features(5 features)
Automatically identify and flag key moments and insights from research footage.
Generate automated research reports with AI-extracted key findings and themes.
Automatically generate executive summaries from complete research sessions.
Automatically transcribe interviews and sessions with speaker identification.
AI-powered analysis of participant emotions and sentiment throughout sessions.
Analysis(5 features)
Add notes, highlights, and timestamps to video and transcript content.
Side-by-side comparison of multiple participant sessions and responses.
Visual heatmaps showing where participants clicked, scrolled, and focused attention.
Full-text search across transcripts to find specific discussion points.
Organize and categorize research data with custom tags for easy retrieval.
Study Types(4 features)
Create unmoderated studies where participants complete tasks asynchronously.
Multi-participant group discussion sessions with speaker identification.
Dedicated interface for conducting one-on-one interviews with built-in note-taking.
Conduct live interviews and usability tests with real-time participant interaction.
Recruiting(3 features)
Built-in payment processing for participant incentives with multiple payment methods.
Self-service portal for participants to access study instructions and submit recordings.
Access a vetted pool of research participants matching specific demographics and criteria.
Testing(3 features)
Compare participant reactions between different design variations.
Test mobile applications and websites with native app and mobile browser support.
Test interactive prototypes and wireframes with built-in design tool integration.
Collaboration(2 features)
Create and share video clips with timestamps and annotations for stakeholder review.
Real-time collaboration tools for multiple team members to review and comment on research.
Compliance(2 features)
Generate audit trails and compliance documentation for regulatory requirements.
Automated GDPR-compliant consent collection and documentation.
Core(2 features)
Record participant screens to capture application interactions and digital workflows.
Capture high-quality video and audio from remote participants with automatic device permission handling.
Cost Calculator
Keep Paying Lookback
Build It Yourself
Total Cost Comparison
DIY hosting estimate based on Vercel + Supabase free/pro tiers (~$20/mo). Build time estimated from 41 features at very easy complexity.