Starting now, Ura will be providing Usability and Design Services to Internet Freedom projects as part of Open Tech Fund’s Usability Lab.
The Usability Lab aims to increase user safety and promote practical internet freedom by working with developers and technologists to improve the usability of open source circumvention and digital security tools. There are many open source software projects that aim to help people around the world – activists, journalists, and everyday citizens – communicate in privacy and security.
Unfortunately, few of these software development teams have the capacity or expertise in-house to make tools that are truly usable. These usability challenges hamper tool adoption, or may cause misunderstandings for users about tool functionalities, and subsequently may give users a false sense of security.
To provide the above services, Open Tech Fund (OTF) is working together with four different Usability Lab partners (among them also Simply Secure with whom we have collaborated in the past). As Ura we are proud to be involved in the Usability Lab and contribute to the improvement and accessibility of Internet Freedom projects.
About Open Tech Fund
The Open Technology Fund utilizes available funds to support Internet freedom projects that empower world citizens to have access to modern communication channels that are free of restrictions, and allow them to communicate without fear of repressive censorship or surveillance.
About Usability Lab Services
In addition to Secure Usability Audits, which will analyze and identify any pitfalls that might make it difficult for users under threat to use a tool, the Lab will be offering these additional services:
If you are interested to request help from the Usability Lab, you can file a request via OTF.
If you are specifically requesting Ura’s services and believe that your project or tool and meets the criteria, you can also contact us directly and we will help you frame a scope of work proposal.