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Usability testing of Figma prototype on multi-path circuits

Context

Multi-path circuits (aka. Conflux) is a feature that enhances reliability and performance by splitting traffic across multiple circuits at the same time and prioritizing circuits with lower latency.

Right now:

  • On desktop, Tor Browser only displays single-path circuits.
  • On Android, Tor Browser has no circuit display at all.

Design

Timeline

At best, this feature will be implemented in Tor Browser 16.0, not before June-July 2026. We're aiming at handing over finished designs by the end of 2025.

  • September
    • Week of September 22
    • Week of September 29
      • Prepare screening
  • October
    • Week of October 6:
      • Recruit
      • Finish basic prototype (@felicia)
    • Week of October 13:
      • ⚠️ YEC Launch
      • Recruit
      • Integrate prototype with contextual elements (together with @felicia)
    • Week of October 20:
      • Schedule participants
      • Run pilot test
    • Week of October 27:
      • Run sessions
  • November
    • Week of November 3:
      • Analyze
    • Week of November 10:
      • Analyze
    • Week of November 17:
      • ⚠️ Tails Sprint
      • Report
    • Week of November 24:
      • Report
  • December
    • Week of December 1:
    • Week of December 8:
    • Week of December 15:
      • Hand over to the Applications Team

Research goals and questions

  • Test the basic version (no bridge + no onion service) of the new circuit display for single-path and multi-path circuits on both desktop and Android, before we hand it over for development.

    • Discoverability

      • Do users know where to find the circuit display?
        • Even more important for Android users since there is no circuit display right now on Android.
        • Use of the circuit icon instead of the shield icon with UTP.

    • Usability

      • Is it intuitive for users to switch between the view of each path?

    • Understanding

      • Do users understand that websites using multi-path circuits are using the different paths at the same time?
      • Do users understand that the same exit relay is used in multi-path circuits?
      • Do users wonder about the implications of Tor Browser using a single-path vs. a multi-path circuit?
        • Do users wonder about the benefits or disadvantages of both?
        • Do users wonder about when Tor Browser chooses one or the other?
        • Do users wonder about how to change between one and the other?
      • Do users understand the relay terminology? (#148)
        • Otherwise, how might we improve it?
      • What questions do people have when opening the "Learn more" link? (not written yet)

  • Test the new circuit display within Firefox's new Unified Trusted Panel (UTC).

    • Do the other elements of the UTP interfere with the circuit display?

Out of scope

  • Test variants of the new circuit display

    • Onion sites
      • Multi-path won't work yet with onion sites.
    • Bridges

  • Accessibility

    • Is the new circuit display accessible for screen reader users?

Participant recruitment

Duration

Limit ourselves to 1 hour: not a lot of different things to test + remote + questions more than tasks.

Number of participants

We won't test both desktop and Android with the same participant (between-subjects study), because the interfaces are too similar.

  • 1 pilot test
    • @felicia wants to attend the pilot test, at least, and maybe some more tests as observer
  • 4 participants for Android
    • Ideally people who use Tor Browser on Android already
  • 4 participants for desktop
    • Ideally people who use Tor Browser on desktop already

Screening criteria

  • Occasional and frequent users
  • Location
  • Language
    • Prototype in English only
  • Incentives: #182

Prototype

We'll use interactive Figma prototypes.

Interactions available right now:

  1. Open Tor Browser on Wikipedia page.
  2. Click on circuit icon.
  3. Get UTP with circuit display for single-path circuit.
  4. Click on "New circuit for this site".
  5. Get UTP with circuit display for multi-path circuit.

Methodology

Figma prototype

Ask participant to:

  • Turn off "Advanced settings > Show hints on click"
  • Turn on "Hide UI"

BBB

Moderator:

  • "Make presenter"

Participant:

  • Share screen

Deliverables

Checklist

  • Design research
    • Meet with @felicia to agree on research goals and research questions
    • Agree on research timeline
    • Draft research script
    • Review research script (@alicia)
    • Link final research script here: XXX
  • Recruit
    • Decide on session duration
    • Decide on number of participants
    • Discuss screening criteria
    • Discuss incentives
    • Schedule slots
    • Create screening survey using template screener
    • Review screening survey (@alicia)
    • Test screening survey
    • Send link to screening survey
    • Schedule participants using screening spreadsheet
      • Schedule 1 extra participant for no shows
    • Answer to all candidates using email templates
    • Confirm only after sound check (if remote)
    • Send research information sheet to participant when confirming location
  • Prepare prototype
    • Prepare interactive mockups on Figma
    • Test interactive mockups
  • Prepare tests
  • Analyze
    • Create rainbow table
      • Mark new issues
      • Document benefit
      • Strike through solved issues
      • Fill in demographics tab of rainbow table
      • Link rainbow table from here: XXX
    • Create public report and link from here
    • Prepare video clips
    • Document on GitLab
      • Create missing issues
      • Document in existing issues as "### User research findings"
      • Link all issues to this one
      • Link related issues together
      • Verify labels on all issues
    • Share highlights on tails-dev and link from here: XXX
    • Prepare video clips
  • Wrap up
Edited by sajolida