This is the second part in a series on how to run a usability test on Dscout. This article walks through completing the Overview and Screener tabs of a usability test.
Note: You’ll only see the Screener tab when recruiting from Dscout’s pool of participants (also known as auto-recruit). When adding participants from screeners or inviting participants directly, you’ll only see the Overview tab.
Contents
Overview tab
The Overview tab is where you’ll define basic details about your usability test, including setting the participant limit and incentive amount.
- Hero Image (visible to participants): Pick something relevant and fun! If you have multiple similar missions within the same project, different hero images can help you distinguish between them.
- Company branding (visible to participants if enabled): Let participants know who they're working with by enabling company branding. Learn more: Company Branding.
- Participant Limit (auto-recruit only): Set your desired sample size of eligible entries. Once the mission has reached that sample size, it will automatically close, and you can view the submissions from the eligible participants. Usability tests can include up to 100 participants.
- Incentive (visible to participants): Select the incentive participants will receive upon mission completion. Auto-recruit missions pay participants automatically after a 7-day payment hold. Incentives should be determined by the types of questions and level of effort required to complete your Express mission. If you have questions about determining incentive amounts, reach out to your Research Advisor. Choose from a range of incentive amounts between $2 - $200.
- Description (visible to participants): Describe the general objective of your usability test and what the participant will do during it. Keep your teaser general, and do your best to avoid revealing your knockout logic here to encourage unbiased and honest responses. The description is the ideal place to communicate any instructions that are important for participants to know before beginning the mission, such as whether they need to be at home to successfully complete the test.
- Participants (add from screeners only): Select the participants you would like to complete the mission following these steps: Adding scouts from a screener ("manual recruit") to Express.
- Share link (invite your own participants only): The shareable URL becomes active once the mission is launched. Copy the URL provided and share it directly with your participants.
Screener tab (auto-recruit only)
When recruiting from Dscout’s pool of participants, your usability test will include a built-in screener to find participants relevant to your research. You’ll target your ideal participants through screening questions, targeting attributes, and quotas. Any scout who is eligible based on the screening criteria will move directly into the mission. The mission will automatically close once you have received your desired sample size defined under Participant limit above.
- Targeting attributes: Targeting attributes can be used to better target your participant audience; upon launch, the test will only be seen by participants who meet the criteria you've specified in your targeting attributes. If you don’t include targeting attributes, the mission will be available to all participants to apply. Learn more about Targeting Attributes.To include targeting attributes, select the Targeting Attributes menu item and select the desired attributes to target from the Targeting Attributes menu on the right-hand side. Select the criteria you want to include in your test. For example, this education attribute will only target people with the highest education level of some high school or high school graduate.
- Screener questions (visible to participants): Auto-recruit missions include the option to include up to 10 unique close-ended screening questions to determine participant eligibility. Each screener question must include termination logic (knockout or must-select). Single-select Screening questions can also include quotas. You must include at least one screening question.
- Exclude Recent Participants: Exclude participants who have participated in any paid activity at the project level or at the account level within the last 90 days. This can be toggled off after launch. Find this setting in the Settings menu of the Targeting Attributes area.
- Balance Participant Demographics: Ensure your participant pool is a good mix of scouts. No segment within demographics of Age, Ethnicity, and Gender will exceed 65%. This can be toggled off after launch. This feature is only supported for US-based participants. Find this setting in the Settings menu of the Targeting Attributes area.
Your next step is to design your usability on the Usability test tab.