Overview

Scenario and Challenges

1. You have 12 samples that need to be evaluated over three days (to avoid fatiguing).
2. The samples are to be evaluated in groups of 4 samples on each day.
3. Due to the effect open packages have on product freshness and consistency, you are not to open all 12 samples at the start of the evaluation (on the first day).
   For example, if you were to open all 12 samples on the first day, by the third day the samples will become _________ (fill in the blank: soggy, stale, hard, otherwise affected...). In other words, you do not want to randomize the samples across all 12. 
4. There are 25 panelists.
   

Design Type and Presentation Solution

1. Day 1: Samples 1 through 4
2. Day 2: Samples 5 through 8
3. Day 3: Samples 9 through 12
   

How to make it all happen?

General Workflow

1. Export a William's design for 4 samples.
2. Use the exported design to create your own for 12 samples.
3. Import the design into Cloud and add it to your test.
4. Use Partial Present to properly present 4 samples on each day.
   

Exporting Existing Design

1. From the "Dashboard", click on "Libraries > Designs ".
   
   
2. In the "Search designs" search for the design called '6x Williams Design (6 Latin Squares)'. It has 4 samples, 4 presented and 24 in the base design. Please see the image below.
   
   
   
3. Select the design and click "View > Export design" .
   
   
4. Save the file to a location on your local or network drive . Open the file in Excel.
   
   
5. Because the file is in the .csv format, you will not be able to save any formatting (such as colour) in it. Colour coding plays an important role in this exercise, so please follow the steps below to enable formatting:
   
1. In Excel, go to "File > Save As ". Select a folder where you wish to save it.
   
   
2. Update the name to reflect the fact that there are 12 samples in the new design and under the "Save as type" list select "Excel Workbook" .
   
   
   
3. Click " Save".
   
   
6. The exported design will have rows of sample sets (different orders) and columns of different sample positions. The sample numbers are highlighted yellow in the image below. We will use the highlighted area for creating randomizations for each day.
   
   

Creating the Custom Design

1. Select the design from cells B2 through E25 (everything in yellow in the above image) and copy it.
   
   
2. Click in the cell G2 and paste. Your day 1 design is done! :) Easy, isn't it?!
   
   
3. Change its colour into orange and put a label above (Day 1).
   
   

1. Select the yellow design from cells B3 through E25 and copy it.
   Please note that you should start from B3 , not B2 as you did for the day 1.
   
   
2. Click in the cel l K2 and paste.
   
   
3. Back to the yellow design, select the cells B2 through E2 and copy them.
   This was a necessary step to ensure that the order is not identical for panelists each day they return to evaluate samples.
   
   
4. Click in the cell K25 and paste.  
   
   
5. Change the colour for the day 2 design into blue and label it Day 2.
   
   
   
6. Select the design in blue (cells K2 through N25) and on your keyboard press Ctrl H. This will bring up the "Find and Replace" feature in Excel.
   
   
7. We will now find all sample #1 instances and replace them with the sample #5 (because this is the day 2 group of samples we should not be serving the samples from day 1):
1. In the "Find what " box, type 1.
   
   
2. In the "Replace with" box, type 5.
   
   
3. Click "Options >>" and place a checkmark in the "Match entire cell contents" checkbox .
   
   
   
4. Click "Replace All". There should be 24 replacements. Click "OK" to confirm.
   
   
8. Keep the "Find and Replace" window open. Now find all the sample #2 instances and replace them with 6. Follow the same steps until you replace samples 1 through 4 with the samples 5 through 8 respectively.
   
   
9. Close the "Find and Replace" window. The day 2 design is done!
   

1. Select the yellow design from cells  B4 through  E25 and copy it.
   Please note that you should start from B4 . 
   
   
2. Click in the cell O2 and paste.
   
   
3. Back to the yellow design, select the cells B2 through E3 (two rows of samples) and copy them. 
   
   
4. Click in the cell O24 and paste.
   
   
5. Change the colour for the day 3 design into green and label it Day 3.
   
   
   
6. Select the design in green (cells O2 through R25) and on your keyboard press Ctrl H. This will bring up the "Find and Replace" feature in Excel.
   
   
7. Click "Options >>" and place a checkmark in the "Match entire cell contents " checkbox.
   
   
8. Follow the same until you replace samples 1 through 4 with the samples 9 through 12 respectively. The day 3 design is done! In fact, the entire design is done and should look similar to this:
   
   

Final File Preparations

Importing the Design Into the Designs Library

1. From the "Dashboard", click "Libraries > Designs".
   
   
2. In the top right-hand corner, click "Create new design".
   
   
3. Specify the "Design name" . Be descriptive and specific when choosing the name so that it is easy for everyone to tell what the design consists of.
   
   
4. Specify the "Design type".
   
   
5. Click "Import design", browse to your .csv file and click it to import. You will be presented with a validation message either confirming that the import was successful, or informing you of any errors and their details.
   
   
   Notice that the "Samples", "Presented", and "Orders in base design" automatically populate.
   
   
6. Add a "Description " about the design with any additional important details.
   
   
7. Click "Next > Next > Next " .
   
   
8. Specify who can have access to the design (the group) and click "Save design " to save the changes.
   

The design can now be added into tests when the  Advanced  option in "Samples & design" is toggled to "Yes".

In addition to Excel, you can create designs in other 3rd party design creation software packages that provide .csv format, such as Design Express. 

Import Design Directly Into Test

You are also able to import designs directly into tests. Doing this will not save the design to be used again in future tests. 

1. From the within your test, click the "Samples & design"   tab.
   
   
2. Toggle the "Advanced" option to "Yes".
   
   
3. Click "Import design ".
   
   
4. Select your saved Excel file and click "Open".
   
   
5. Click "Save".