---
title: "Sequential vs Monadic design"
url: "https://help.getdecode.io/en/article/sequential-vs-monadic-design"
language: "en"
last_updated: "2026-08-20T14:01:23.518Z"
---

# Sequential vs Monadic design

Use these designs when participants need to evaluate multiple concepts, designs, ads, products, or other stimuli.

#### **Monadic Design**

In a monadic design, each participant evaluates one concept only.

#### ***Example***

You want to test three advertising concepts:

-   Concept A
-   Concept B
-   Concept C

You can create three groups:

-   **Group A** → Concept A
-   **Group B** → Concept B
-   **Group C** → Concept C

Each participant is assigned to one group and sees only that concept.

#### **When should I use monadic?**

Use monadic when:

-   You want an independent evaluation of each concept.
-   You don't want participants comparing concepts directly.
-   Seeing one concept could influence their response to another.
-   You want to understand how each concept performs on its own.

#### **Setting up a monadic design in Decode**

Use Group & Randomization to distribute participants across the relevant groups.

You can also use Screener responses and Study Logic when participants need to be routed to a specific group based on their responses.

For example:

> Current customers → Group A  
> Competitor customers → Group B

* * *

#### **Sequential Design**

In a sequential design, each participant evaluates multiple concepts one after another.

#### ***Example***

You have three concepts:

**Participant 1:** A → C → B  
**Participant 2:** B → A → C  
**Participant 3:** C → B → A

Each participant sees all three concepts, but the order is randomized.

#### **When should I use sequential?**

Use sequential when:

-   You want each participant to evaluate multiple concepts.
-   You want to make more efficient use of your sample.
-   You want to compare multiple concepts within the same participant.

#### **Setting up a sequential design in Decode**

Use Group & Randomization to control and randomize the order in which concepts are presented.

If the participant's experience should depend on their screener responses, use Screener + Study Logic to route them to the appropriate experience.

#### **Keep order effects in mind**

The order in which concepts are shown can influence participant responses.

To reduce this:

-   Randomize the order of concepts.
-   Keep exposure consistent.
-   Avoid showing too many concepts in one session.
-   Consider participant fatigue.

#### **Monadic vs. Sequential**

|  | **Monadic** | **Sequential** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Concepts each participant sees | One | Multiple |
| Main purpose | Independent evaluation | Evaluate multiple concepts |
| Decode setup | Group & Randomization / Study Logic | Group & Randomization |
| Main benefit | Reduces cross-concept influence | Makes efficient use of participants |
| Main consideration | Requires participants across groups | Order effects and fatigue |

#### **Rule of thumb**

> **Want each participant to evaluate one concept independently? → Monadic**  
> **Want each participant to evaluate multiple concepts? → Sequential**