Ever since squadrons and then trusts were introduced, I've been a fan of your second proposal. Expanding on trusts would make dungeons and trials less intimidating and more fun. New players could experience them first with just their friends and go in blind if they chose, without any worry about holding up the group. Then they could jump in the duty finder later with some practice under their belt, or never. There are plenty of other levelling options for those who only want to get through the msq.