Return to Brazil to re-test Tor Browser in moderated sessions
Activity
changed milestone to %Sponsor 30 - Objective 3.6
assigned to @nah
User Research Plan
Goals
Validate improvements made based on users' pain points in previous testings when connecting to a bridge manually. Additionally, we will test the new circuit display.
Audience
Human Rights Defenders, activists, feminists, journalists and digital security enthusiasts.
Recruitment
We will be reaching out to human rights organizations based in Brazil to support us during the recruitment process.
Research participants should have been in contact with Tor Browser before, either on a training or in a daily-use.
Previous Research
#88 (closed) #89 (closed) #91 (closed) #107 (closed) #109 (closed)
Issues related
- Some users have difficulty finding the circuit display - tpo/applications/tor-browser#41600 (closed)
- Users don't understand the purpose of bridge-moji - tpo/applications/tor-browser#41093 (closed)
- Improve security warning when downloading a file - tpo/applications/tor-browser#40701 (closed)
- Decide how to use the multi-lingual Tor Browser in the alpha/release series - tpo/applications/tor-browser#17400 (closed)
- Refactor the UI to remove all bridges - tpo/applications/tor-browser#41085 (closed)
- Some users are choosing an adjacent country for circumvention settings - tpo/applications/tor-browser#41080 (closed)
- The number of relays displayed for an onion site can be misleading - tpo/applications/tor-browser#40958 (closed)
- Improve the UX of the built-in bridges dialog - tpo/applications/tor-browser#41617 (closed)
- “Remove All Bridges” button only appears after hitting “Show All Bridges" - tpo/applications/tor-browser#41713 (closed)
- “Show Fewer Bridges” button missing from refactored remove all bridges UI - tpo/applications/tor-browser#41714 (closed)
Methodology
Moderated usability testing combined with interviews.
Usability testing
In a usability-testing session, a researcher (called a “facilitator” or a “moderator”) asks a participant to perform tasks, usually using one or more specific user interfaces. While the participant completes each task, the researcher observes the participant’s behavior and listens for feedback. (nngroup)
Suggested Time
30 minutes.
Materials Needed
- Facilitator will bring a laptop with Tor Browser Nightly for Desktop installed.
- Internet
- Usability testing printed to make notes, pens, sticky notes.
- Demographics survey.
- At least: one table and two chairs.
Setting up Tor Browser
When doing the test, each participant will be asked to perform certain settings on Tor Browser, so before starting the next one, be sure Tor Browser Nightly doesn't have any settings pre-configured, for example: bridges.
Outline and timing
1. Introduction to the session
Welcome participant, explain the activity, the technical setup, get consent to publish anonymous quotes from the activity and to share it online publicly.
Introduction: This test will take around 30 minutes. We are going to connect to Tor normally, browse it and check our circuit. Then, we are going to change our connection settings, test bridges and again browse normally. We will also download a file when browsing, with a link that will be provided to you. Please, share your thoughts out loud while browsing through Tor Browser.
2. Activity
- Go over the demographics questionnaire, understanding the user context when using the internet.
- First-time participants will be instructed about how Tor works.
- Current Tor users will be instructed to open the Tor browser.
Let's start
When you open Tor Browser, this is the first page you will see. Please, connect to Tor Browser and browse to any webpage you usually navigate. Please, share your thoughts about this experience while browsing.
Now, let's check the Tor circuit. Tor circuit is where you can see the Tor Network nodes. Please, also share your thoughts about it.
Now, we are going to start over. The researcher should close and open the Tor Browser to be sure it's not connected automatically.
So, now instead of connecting to Tor, let's manually configure this connection. Please, go ahead.
When the participant finds Connection, explain: here you can see many ways to configure the connection to join the Tor Network. You have several options on this page.
Take your time to look at this page, then tell me what you see and what you think you can do at this page.
To connect to Tor, you need to configure bridges, how can you do it?
(Take notes of the user options for bridges.)
If the user stops at the list of bridges' options: What do you understand about these options?
(Take notes)
I want you to set-up built-in bridges. Please, have a look at the options you have there.
If they jump straight to one specific bridge: Why did you choose this bridge?
(Take notes of the user's explanation.)
After choosing the bridge, ask them to test if it works: Please connect and test if this bridge works.
(Take notes - connect button)
If the bridge selected didn't work, come back and try new bridges (Let's try another one), until it works, and ask the user's perception of connecting to the bridge.
(Take notes)
Scenario: Bridge works, list of the bridges are displayed
What do you see that is different in this page (connection settings) right now? Which one is the bridge you are using?
(Take notes)
If the user doesn't ask about the emojis, ask them: what do you think about bridge-moji?
(Take notes)
Please, read the bridge-moji documentation and tell me what you understand about it.
(Take notes)
So now that you're connected, let's visit a popular website.
Tell the user to visit any website they usually visit.
(Take notes)
Let's see your circuit. Can you change the circuit?
Goal: User is able to find and understand the information displayed in the Tor circuit. User is or isn't confused about the relays displayed.
(Take notes)
Let's onionshare.org - Do you see the option to access the onionsite? Let's checkout this.
(Take notes)
Let's see the circuit of this onionsite. Please, share you thoughts outloud about this circuit.
Now, let's download Onionshare.
Goal: User is able to download and understand the information displayed in the Tor download dialog.
So, now, let's go back to the Connection Settings again. Now, we are going to remove all bridges, browse with normal relay, and check the circuit.
(Goal: user is able to remove bridges and browse normally)
Overall, how is your experience using Tor Browser in a censored environment?
(Take notes)
From 1 to 5, how likely would you recommend Tor Browser for someone that needs privacy and security in their online activities? Please, explain.
(Take notes)
Thank you very much for participating in this study! Your support is really important and will help us to improve Tor Browser in the future.
added Q2 label
mentioned in issue #89 (closed)
-
Usability Testing - BRG1
Demographics: female, 41y, journalist, human rights defender, first time user.
- Introduction to Tor, the Tor Network, and Tor Browser
- Usability Testing with Tor Browser Alpha 12.5a5
Some users have difficulty finding the circuit display - tpo/applications/tor-browser#41600 (closed): The user was able to find and see the circuit display.
Users don't understand the purpose of bridge-moji - tpo/applications/tor-browser#41093 (closed): The user read the documentation, and was able to understand the purpose of bridge-emoji. They found it joyful.
Decide how to use the multi-lingual Tor Browser in the alpha/release series - tpo/applications/tor-browser#17400 (closed): user was able to find and change the language to Portuguese. Some strings were not translated (particularly in the bridge section). Prints screens will be provided.
Improve security warning when downloading a file - tpo/applications/tor-browser#40701 (closed): User read the warning and were confused if it was talking about the possible virus or other kind of infection, like cookies.
Refactor the UI to remove all bridges - tpo/applications/tor-browser#41085 (closed): user was able to remove all bridges.
Improve the UX of the built-in bridges dialog - tpo/applications/tor-browser#41617 (closed): user read the information and had no questions about it.
- user chose obfs4 because it is random (as mentioned in the the bridge dialog);
- when the stack of the bridges was shown, the user was confused if they could select one of the bridges by themselves, or choose a set of the bridges they would prefer (using the bridge-emoji to remember the ones they liked)
-
Usability Testing - BRG2
Demographics: female, 49y, feminist, human rights defender, power user.
- Usability Testing with Tor Browser Alpha 12.5a5
Some users have difficulty finding the circuit display - tpo/applications/tor-browser#41600 (closed): The user was able to find and see the circuit display, and thought it was awesome.
Users don't understand the purpose of bridge-moji - tpo/applications/tor-browser#41093 (closed): The user read the documentation, and was able to understand the purpose of bridge-emoji.
Decide how to use the multi-lingual Tor Browser in the alpha/release series - tpo/applications/tor-browser#17400 (closed): user was already familiar with the functionality, as she tend to use it in other languages to practice.
Improve security warning when downloading a file - tpo/applications/tor-browser#40701 (closed): User read the warning and thought it was interesting, never had noticed it before.
Refactor the UI to remove all bridges - tpo/applications/tor-browser#41085 (closed): user was able to remove all bridges.
Improve the UX of the built-in bridges dialog - tpo/applications/tor-browser#41617 (closed): user read the information and thought the Snowflake explanation was confusing.
- user chose obfs4 because it was the first option and thought it could be faster.
- user mentioned that Tor is faster than it used to be, and asked how this happened.
-
Usability Testing - BRS3
Demographics: female, 41y, feminist, human rights defender, uses Tor occasionally.
- Usability Testing with Tor Browser Alpha 12.5a5
Some users have difficulty finding the circuit display - tpo/applications/tor-browser#41600 (closed): The user was able to find and see the circuit display, and thought it was joyful.
Users don't understand the purpose of bridge-moji - tpo/applications/tor-browser#41093 (closed): 1. Similarly with testings in Mexico, the participant thought they could click on the emoji and that the emoji would represent that certain bridge would be better for the subject that the emoji represented. Then, the user read the documentation, and didn't understand the purpose of bridge-emoji, they thought the explanation was confusing.
Decide how to use the multi-lingual Tor Browser in the alpha/release series - tpo/applications/tor-browser#17400 (closed): user was able to change languages.
Improve security warning when downloading a file - tpo/applications/tor-browser#40701 (closed): User read the warning and thought it was interesting, never had noticed it before.
Refactor the UI to remove all bridges - tpo/applications/tor-browser#41085 (closed): user was able to remove all bridges.
Improve the UX of the built-in bridges dialog - tpo/applications/tor-browser#41617 (closed): user read the information and understood the explanation.
- user chose obfs4 because they aren't in a censored environment, so it would work for them.
- after choosing the bridge, when the many bridge cards were displayed, the user thought they could click and choose what bridge they would use (similarly to previous tests)
removed Needs Design label