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Choosing a Task List Type

At Indeemo, we recognise that different projects come with different needs regarding how and when participants see their tasks. With this in mind, we offer 3 options for you to choose from.

Think of "Tasking Types" as the Research Assistant of your study.

These settings allow you to control the pace of participant engagement, determining exactly how and when they experience your questions.

Whether you need a free-flowing diary or a strict day-by-day product test, Indeemo gives you the tools to adjust the task release to match your specific research needs.

It's all about creating the right flow for your project.

With this in mind, we offer 3 options for you to choose the one most suitable for your task list:

  • All at Once tasking
  • Scheduled tasking 
  • Sequential tasking

1. All-at-Once Tasking

Best For: Healthcare research, General Feedback.

What is the main concept?

Total Freedom.

Think of this as an open book. It gives your participants complete autonomy to engage with the study on their own terms.

How does it actually work?

The moment a participant logs in, every single task in their list is visible and unlocked. There are no barriers, gates, or timers hiding content from them.

What rules do participants follow?

There effectively aren't any.

Participants have full control to:

  • Complete tasks in any order (e.g., they can finish Task 5 before Task 1).
  • Upload unlimited media responses.
  • Edit their responses at any time while the project is live.

When is this the right choice?

When capturing spontaneous, "in-the-moment" events.

If the "when" doesn't matter, don't restrict it.

  • Symptom Tracking: You can't schedule a headache. Patients need the ability to log an event the moment it happens.
  • Open Insights: Removing friction allows users to share thoughts whenever inspiration strikes.

2. Scheduled Tasking

Best For: Diary Studies, Longitudinal Research, Managing Workload.

What is the main concept?

The Drip Feed.

This allows you to pace the study perfectly to match a real-world timeline, releasing content slowly over time.

How does it actually work?

Instead of everything appearing at once, you set a specific date and time for each task to release. The app sends a Push Notification to the participant based on their local time zone when the task becomes available.

Does a participant have to finish Task 1 to see Task 2?

No.

Scheduled tasking respects the clock, not the completion rate.

Even if a participant skips yesterday's task, today's task will still arrive on schedule. This prevents people from getting "stuck" behind a forgotten task.

Can I limit how long they have to respond?

Yes.

You can set an End Date, which makes the task disappear from the app entirely. This is critical for "in-the-moment" research (e.g., breakfast diaries) where a late entry (logging breakfast at dinner time) would be useless data.

Pro Tip: Preventing Burnout

If you have 20 tasks, don't dump them all at once. Use Scheduled tasking to release 2-3 per day. This keeps engagement high and overwhelm low.

3. Sequential Tasking

Best For: Product Testing (IHUTs), UX Workflows, Step-by-Step Instructions.

What is the main concept?

The Linear Journey.

This ensures participants follow a strict path, step-by-step, without skipping ahead.

What is the core rule?

Follow the order of tasks. 

You cannot see Task B until you have submitted the required response for Task A.

How do I control the speed of the unlocks?

On each task, you have two options here.

Think of them as "The Key" vs. "The Key + The Calendar."

Option A: Immediate Release (The Key)

  • How it works: Completing Task 1 is the "Key."
  • As soon as the user inserts the key (submits their response), the door to Task 2 opens instantly.
  • The Goal: Speed. This allows "super-users" to binge-complete the project in one sitting if they want to.

Option B: "No Sooner Than" (The Key + The Calendar)

  • How it works: This is a Double Lock.
  • To open Task 2, the user needs to finish Task 1 AND wait for a specific date and time.
  • The Goal: Compliance. If a user rushes and finishes Task 1 early, Task 2 stays locked until the scheduled time.
  • This stops users from rushing through a 5-day product test in 1 hour.

Important Note:

If you choose "No Sooner Than" and the participant is late (i.e., the start date has already passed), the task will unlock immediately upon completion of the previous step. We never punish late users by making them wait longer!

When is this the right choice?

When the order of operations is critical.

  • Product Testing: You need to ensure they have physically opened the box (Task 1) before they rate the packaging (Task 2).
  • Instructional Flows: Ensuring they watched the tutorial video before answering the quiz.

Conclusion: Choosing the Right Flow

Selecting the correct tasking type is the first step in ensuring high engagement and quality data.

  • Choose All-at-Once when you need spontaneity and minimum friction.
  • Choose Scheduled when you need to pace participants over days or weeks.
  • Choose Sequential when the specific order of steps is critical to the methodology.