Usability tests of Figma prototypes of Conflux display

Context

Conflux is a feature that enhances reliability and performance by splitting a Tor circuit across multiple paths at the same time and prioritizing paths with lower latency.

Right now:

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

Results

Results

Design

Assets

Figma prototype

Desktop

Android

Alternates

Tab vs. list Title vs. pill
alternate-B-2-tabs-1 alternate-B-3-title
alternate-B-2-tabs-1 alternate-B-3-title

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
      • Integrate prototype with contextual elements (together with @felicia)
      • Recruit
    • 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
    • Week of November 24:
      • Prepare internal reporting
  • December
    • Week of December 1:
      • Prepare internal reporting
    • Week of December 8:
      • Discuss results with UX and Applications
    • Week of December 15:
      • Discuss results with UX and Applications
  • January
    • Prepare public report

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

      • D1: 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.
      • D2: Is it intuitive for users to switch between the view of each path?

    • Understanding

      • U1: Do users understand that websites using multi-path circuits are using the different paths at the same time?
      • U2: Do users understand that the same exit relay is used in multi-path circuits?
      • U3: Do users wonder about the implications of Tor Browser using a single-path vs. a multi-path circuit?
        • U3.1: Do users wonder about the benefits or disadvantages of both?
        • U3.2: Do users wonder about when Tor Browser chooses one or the other?
        • U3.3: Do users wonder about how to change between one and the other?
      • U4: Do users understand the relay terminology? (#148)
        • U4.1: Otherwise, how might we improve it?
      • U5: 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).

    • P1: 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?

Script

Multi-path_script.pdf

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.

  • 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

Methodology

Figma prototype

We'll show the prototype from our screen:

  • Improve privacy for the participant. Everything happens on Signal and they don't have to share their IP with Figma.
  • Force people to explain better their thoughts.
  • Fix the reliability issue with Figma.

Signal

  • "Create call link"

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)
  • 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
    • Answer to all candidates using email templates
    • Get in touch with participants over Signal before the call
    • Send research information sheet to participant when confirming location
  • Prepare prototype
    • Prepare interactive mockups on Figma
    • Test interactive mockups
  • Prepare tests
    • Adapt research information sheet
    • Prepare recording setup
      • Test the recording setup
      • Check available disk space
      • Test screensharing with Signal
    • Prepare incentives
  • Analyze
    • Create rainbow table
      • Mark new issues
      • Document benefit
      • Strike through solved issues
      • Fill in demographics tab of rainbow table
  • Report
    • Link rainbow table from description
    • Create public report and link from description
    • Prepare video clips and link from description
    • Organize workshop with designers and developers: Conflux_research-application_workshop.md
    • 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
  • Wrap up
Edited by sajolida