User testing at Internet Freedom Festival (2017)

Screenshots shown:

https://public.gridsync.io/zh4WrT0/screenshots-feb-17.html

Comments received:

Welcome page:

• Is this setup?
• Grid vs. storage (self note)
• What does public mean? (self note)
• "Oh stuff to read"
• "Easy til now"
• Would probably skip this
• Self node: text maybe too long
• What is a storage provider?
• Brief explanation of "storage grid"; "Gridsync uses storage grids, which are like folders in the cloud..."
• Mention that changes are synced too
• Invite code [circled]
• WTF is a storage grid?
• Em dash not --
• File store?
• User streams:
  • "Enter code"
  • "Create new account"
  • "For business"
• Language is too techy

Error message: Not yet configured:

• When does this happen? (self note)
• Should say "you can’t do w/o option"

Select a storage grid (grid selector):

• What is the Tahoe-LAFS test grid?
• (Understood Gridsync grid because of branding)
• Simplify language; more user-friendly
• Associate "select" copy directly w/ drop down
• May be unclear to users: "Recommended for testing only as files are deleted every 72 hours"
• Its shares will be "flushed"?

Select a storage grid (manual configuration form):

• What do I put there?
• What is an intro fURL?
• Choose existing since I don’t know about add new
• What to do here?
• Introducer fURL? Clarify -- different label or explanatory text
• "Please enter a valid introducer fURL" -> some potential terminology issue
• What’s an fURL? And "introducer"?

Enter invite code dialog:

• Any value in additional content explaining value of using Tor? via "i" icon w/ link to info maybe?
• Liz: "tor" -> "tor network"

Error message: MITM:

• Remove comma after "Either you mistyped your invite code"
• Scare-mongering
• Error message confusing
  • If I mistype I need a new one?? pressure

Invite/setup progress bar:

• What’s a storage node? "Time to Google"
  • Liz: there are multiple nodes in a grid
    • This doesn’t help
• What is a wormhole?
• Unclear what significance of change here is. "Least Authority S4"?
• Why did the logo change?
• Logos confusing
  • LA logo looks ‘97 devious hackerish being naughty
  • Google to hackers
  • Secondary layer of software? Trust issue?
  • Logo design needs to be more aligned
• What’s a wormhole?

Status window:

• Nice to drag & drop, use Finder, auto updates
• All pretty clear
• Has "storage node" already been defined?
• Share button unclear in paper prototype. Clickable? Offers actions?
• Unsure what's here? [in reference to invite icon] Right icon?
• Settings [in reference to gear icon]
• [Invite icon circled]
• [Invite icon drawn] Does it send email?
• [macOS Fullscreen button circled]
• This window looks weird; not trustworthy
• Mail symbol?
• Gridsync window looks off
  • Needs to look significantly different
  • Doesn’t feel like a secure partition
• "Up to date" doesn’t communicate if it’s live linked (or how long since last time)
  • Is it actively updating now?
• File syncing:
  • Not clear that the app is syncing after save
  • Not clear it is monitoring the folder
• Overall: straightforward, easy
• Questions about updates after save vs. monitoring folder

Notification:

• Nicely familiar; like Dropbox

File sharing:

• What level of effort is required for the second person? Receiver?

General/misc.:

• If my laptop dies, how do I get the files?
• What happens if I drag one [magic-]folder into another?
• Are these the same? (page 49-50)
• No matter what you do it’s synched
• Technical lingo is overwhelming; makes need to look up
• Picking a grid is hard/sticking point
• Could be funnier
• Wire (app) onboarding is nice, interact w/ bot to learn all features
• Sharing settings during setup are unclear
• Everyone could use this
• More explanation for non-techie people
• Using other services for photos
• Would use for important docs, professional docs
• Grids -- what is a grid?
  • Envision grid info on a website, resources how to select a grid, how to evaluate a grid, list of available grids on website and in the app to select
  • Pay for grids in company/professional use
  • Free for personal use
• Encryption & shares:
  • No mention in interface
  • Need to add benefits
• Ethical storage, marketplace of grids on LA site, we vet them
• This is for executives and others w/ sensitive data
  • Bankers, lawyers, accountants, biz owners (looks like it’s for people who want security)
• Would use for Word, presentations, messages
• Mobile apps needed for wide use
• Company pays for grid for the X users to use
• Consider adding a "marketing"-type statement in the initial welcome dialog between the application icon and invite code field (e.g., “secure, distributed, synchronized storage” or similar)
• What happens when you’re offline?
• Post-setup UI is clear/good; the setup process is more complicated/scary
• "I really like the icon"

Analysis:

Outstanding/major issues:

• Language/concepts:
  • Unclear: "Storage node", "storage grid”, "storage provider", "introducer fURL"
• Distinction between application and service/provider:
  • e.g., "Why is this icon changing to a Least Authority logo?"
• Invite icon:
  • Functionality/purpose is unclear in UI
• Failure cases:
  • e.g., laptop dying, losing caps.
• Communication of features:
  • How do we clarify who is auditing and what it means - "open source" isn't clear.
  • Unclear from screenshots that files are continuously synced
  • No explicit indication of encryption process/state
  • Never says it's encrypted

Possible solution(s)?

• Language/concepts:
  • Explain in clickable help icon/button "(?)"
  • Explain elsewhere (e.g., website, an animation)
  • Remove references entirely?
    • (Does the user need to know, e.g., what a storage grid is to use the application?)
  • Embed them in familiar context
  • "Opening wormhole" -> "connecting to provider" (or similar)
• Distinction between application and service/provider:
  • Better status/progress hints could help (e.g., "Connecting to Least Authority S4" instead of "Connecting to grid")
  • Animation during setup showing distinction between application and provider
• Invite icon:
  • Provide accompanying label (e.g., "accept invite", "join grid/folder", etc.)
  • Look for a more appropriate (and freely licensed) icon..
    • (Currently, there seems to be no commonly-used concept/image for accepting a shared file/folder/invite -- though there are many for sending sharable things to others).
      • (We also, presumably, want to use wormhole codes for purposes beyond just joining storage grids, e.g., sharing and joining a magic-folder)
  • Remove entirely. Join new grids via drop-down menu
• Failure cases:
  • Provide functionality for "exporting" settings/caps/keys (in encrypted format, of course) and encourage users to backup this "recovery" file
• Communication of features:
  • Remind users of continuous sync feature in initial welcome page
  • Provide indicator in UI ("Lock" icon? Progress bar?) for encryption process