Conduct a usability study of Tor Browser 13.5 to test recent changes
Due to a recent focus on testing our censorship circumvention options, our websites, and the Tor VPN project, Tor Browser has not undergone general usability testing since the conclusion of Project 60 in early 2023. Since then, three major versions of Tor Browser have been released for desktop and Android:
Each of these releases has featured substantial updates to Tor Browser's UI, and a fourth version – Tor Browser 14.0 – is due for release before the end of 2024. As such, fresh usability testing is necessary to evaluate Tor Browser's current user experience and provide ideas for future improvements.
Ideas for tasks could include, for example:
- Downloading, installing and launching Tor Browser for the first time.
- Connecting to Tor, and quizzing the user's understanding of the network model.
- Circumventing censorship using Tor Browser, including accessing a blocked website, and using bridges when the Tor network is blocked.
- Connecting to and browsing onion sites, including recovery from onion site errors.
- Testing other features, such as new circuit, new identity, security settings, and/or downloading files.
Older testing plans can be found in the ux/research repository, however these are dated – and should be used for reference only. User testing participants should also complete our standard demographics survey prior to their participation in the study, which can be provided upon request.
Accepting contributions
This issue is open to contributions from volunteer user researchers within the community. If you have the skills and experience to research this topic, and are interested in contributing to the Tor Project, please submit a research plan (if applicable) in a comment below for review by the UX Team. If you have any questions, please reach out to the UX Team first. Thank you!