Impact & Engagement Lab
Our partners help technology-focused internet freedom projects effectively communicate with their audiences.
Apply now
Labs
Resource Labs
OTF Resource Labs provide critical services to internet freedom projects that are not covered by our other funding mechanisms. From security and usability audits to accessibility and communications strategy, the Labs ensure internet freedom projects are as effective, secure, and accessible as possible.
Three labs
Free expert support for internet freedom projects
User Experience & Discovery Lab
Our partners improve the user-experience design of internet freedom technologies.
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Security Lab
Our partners provide expert security audits to qualifying internet freedom projects as well as all OTF-supported technology projects.
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Security Lab
We fund security audits for internet freedom projects
Do you want to strengthen the security of your internet freedom tool? Security Lab matches internet freedom projects with trusted, expert security partners. We fund short-term support for:
- software security audits
- expert help with tackling known security issues
- security architecture and design reviews
Repressive governments worldwide often use software or mobile apps to surveil citizens or reduce their ability to communicate safely. We conduct public safety audits of potentially harmful software created by, associated with, or sponsored by governments.
Our Work
We publish the results of our audits on an open-source basis
We aim to strengthen the internet freedom ecosystem and empower the people behind the tools. That’s why we publish the results of our audits on an open-source basis. Some examples:
User Experience & Discovery Lab
Free user-experience research and design support
This Lab improves the user-experience design of internet freedom tools. We help projects better understand the needs of their user communities, and support them to make their tools usable and accessible to all.
Accessibility services are focused on offering accessibility design support to technology projects during the design phase, to ensure that people with disabilities are able to access and use all privacy- and security-enhancing tools and circumvention technologies without impediment.
UX & Discovery services
What our Lab partners offer
User Discovery Services
These services assist internet freedom projects to engage in user experience (UX) research in order to deepen their understanding of the needs of their user communities, and to help inform the usable and context-appropriate design of the technologies they are building.
- Secure user research
- Interviews
- Focus groups
- Journey mapping
- Systems mapping
- Audience & early adopter mappings
- Exploratory research
- User testing and feedback sessions
- Supporting the design of sustainable user feedback flows
Usability and Design Services
Lab partners are available to provide internet freedom technology projects with design and usability support, encompassing prototyping, wireframing, visual identity development, UX feedback sessions, as well as longer-term usability coaching services throughout a project’s design phase.
- User experience (UX), developer experience (DX), and user interface (UI) ideation
- UX, DX, UI prototyping and wireframing
- UX visual identity support
- UX feedback sessions, coaching and support services
- Offline-first UX/UI design and development
- Privacy-first design support
Accessibility Design Services
- UX accessibility feedback sessions
- Accessible UX/UI design support
- Accessible UX/UI development support
- Accessibility coaching and support services
- Digital (web and mobile) accessibility trainings
- Neurodiversity-inclusive accessibility support
Post-Release Usability and Accessibility Services
These services offer usability and accessibility auditing, quality assurance, and user testing efforts, and are designed to ensure that internet freedom projects can continue to identify opportunities to improve tools’ usability and accessibility even after they have been released.
Impact & Engagement Lab
Free communications support services
The Lab helps technology-focused internet freedom projects effectively communicate about their work in order to contribute to audience adoption in the world’s most information-repressive contexts. We also share the knowledge created through projects so others can iterate and build on their work to advance internet freedom.
If you’re strapped for time, or communications isn’t your strong suit, the IE Lab can help!
- Communications strategy
- Written content such as blog posts, reports, social media messages, website copy, user guides, and other documentation
- Editing and copy editing to improve written communications
- Branding and visual identity (can include rebranding support)
- Data visualization
- Graphic design and visual content creation, such as instructive illustrations and infographics
Am I eligible for support?
If your tool contributes to internet freedom anywhere in the world, we’d love to hear from you
Projects previously funded by OTF are welcome, and we’re always looking to grow our community with new projects. Please read about our mission and values before applying to make sure we’re a good fit.