FUMO

Redefine your path to quitting vape.

Duration

Aug'23 - Oct'23

(7 weeks)

Team

2 UX Researchers

2 UX Designers

Tools

Figma,

Miro

Responsibilities

User Interviews,

Persona,

User Story,

Storyboards,

Prototype,

User Testing

Problem Overview

Quitting vaping is challenging due to social pressures and limited support.

Overcoming vape addiction is not just a physical challenge but also an emotional journey, making it a difficult feat to achieve. Its glamorization holds a significant sway over young individuals, exerting a powerful social influence.

The lack of a supportive environment and empathy towards constant cravings and relapses adds to the difficulty. further worsened by the loss of enjoyment in their favorite daily activities, which brought them comfort and routine.

How Might We effectively assist and support high school and university students in overcoming vape addiction regardless of their surroundings?

Introducing the solution: FUMO

My team and I designed a mobile application to help individuals struggling with quitting vaping by engaging them with personalized recreational activities, providing therapeutic exercises proven effective for vape cessation, and being a supportive companion throughout their journey.

Tailored Intervention Plan

Using onboarding data, FUMO crafts a personalized plan for the user, incorporating recreational activities during peak times of the day when they are most likely to crave vaping.

Completed Tasks

Unattended Tasks

Upcoming Tasks

Profile

Progress

Tasks completion

(Slips: Any trigger or relapse situations causing to vape and incomplete task.)

Fail - Safe

Quitting becomes feasible with effective management of triggers and relapses. FUMO offers a clinically validated approach to address them.

It identifies trigger times and schedules alternative activities to counter cravings while also addressing relapse to provide support for managing relapses, enhancing the likelihood of sustained success.

Support

Quit SOLO - A motivational inspiration wall to keep you focused and encouraged.
Quit with a Companion - A chat feature for real-time support and interaction with a partner.

Analytics

FUMO classifies triggers into one of four established categories based on feedback received following triggers or relapses.

SUS Score ✅

86.25%

suggesting that users found the system highly usable with a positive and satisfactory experience

Mentor & Expert Feedback ✅

You did a phenomenal job with the solution. Really liked the design direction and solution

Something innovative, something important, something that says you went above and beyond for this project. Perfect sense of trigger and relapse! Good justification!

Screenshot_2025-02-03_at_11.11.02-removebg-preview-removebg-preview.png

Why this problem?

Ever since the hype of vapes, I have seen many friends struggle with vaping addiction, often starting due to peer pressure, FOMO, or as a perceived healthier alternative. Given the choice to tackle an IU grand challenge, I chose this issue to support their journey to quit.

From insights to actions: A research-driven approach

Research

Secondary Research
Online Ethnography
User Interviews
Field Observations

Problem Synthesis

Affinity Mapping
Thematic Analysis
Persona Development
Empathy Maps
Problem Statement

Ideation & Prototype

Brainstorming
Storyboards
User Flow
Sketches
Mid-Fi Wireframes
Mockups

Evaluation & Testing

Heuristic Evaluation
Think-Aloud Sessions
SUS Analysis
Expert Evaluation

Step 1 - Started with identifying the facts: Desk Research

1 in 3 young adults are addicted to vaping summing up to nearly 2.5 million!

[Source: FDA]

This is a concerning issue since most users don't realize that vape products contain nicotine which can impair focus, memory, and learning, and serve as a gateway to further nicotine and marijuana use.

Focusing on 18 - 24 years old

Middle school, high school, and university students are particularly at risk due to FOMO and peer pressure, making them susceptible to social influences.

52.4%

intend to but are unable to quit!

Step 2: To understand the behavior - Contextual Inquiry

My team and I led 8 sessions at different locations to identify specific moments when users feel compelled to vape and gain insights into the habits, emotional states, and environmental factors that influenced their decision to vape.

(We quickly sketched out every observation session.)

Insight #1

Vaping served as both a coping mechanism and as a source of reward.

Insight #2

They were appealed by it due to its affordability and smell.

Insight #3

Vape appealed to a diverse group of teens.

Step 3: Gain a deeper understanding of user challenges - User Interviews

I led 12 user interviews and 2 expert interviews, which gave me a better understanding of the emotional journey of individuals striving to quit vaping while learning about their struggles and the personal efforts they make to overcome these challenges.

To quit vaping, I need a distraction while I am craving to vape, a supportive environment, and reassurance during relapses.

Interview Protocol

Interview Notes

"I don't have anyone to encourage me to quit, even if I want to."

"Vaping has become a part of my daily routine."

"The first 48 hours were the most difficult to tackle."

"Vaping has diminished my energy levels, preventing me from playing basketball."

Step 4: Identify Gaps & Opportunities - Competitor Analysis

The competition lacks empathy, solutions personalized to user needs, and evidence-based practices.

Pros

Cons

Escape the Vape

Community building
Offers educational resources about dangers of vaping

Not all people respond well to gamification
Limited personalization options

I am Sober

Comprehensive approach to addiction recovery
Metrics for measuring progress

Generic cessation features
Lack of vaping-specific resources

Quuit

Tailored plans for individuals
Incorporates evidence-based practices.

Lack of intuitiveness
No tailored support for users

Quit Vaping

Motivation and reminders
Tracks progress and provides statistics

Lack of education and awareness resources

Step 5: Connecting the dots - Problem Synthesis

Affinity Mapping & Thematic Analysis + Empathy Mapping + Persona

Synthesizing into a problem statement

School and university students need assistance and support to quit vaping because they struggle to quit due to persistent cravings and frequent relapses, worsened by an unsupportive environment.

Step 6: Transforming insights into ideas: Brainstorming

We conducted 3 brainstorming sessions: with the team, beyond the team, and individually, resulting in divergent perspectives and 85+ ideas

(wild ideas were welcomed too!)

and identified the top 3 opportunities!

Using analytics and data to provide tailored advice and feedback for individuals trying to quit vaping?

An engaging community platform where people can share their quitting experiences and support each other.

Providing tailored assistance that helps replace their

habit of vaping with some healthier alternative.

Step 7: Visualise the ideas - Storyboarding

Each team member created storyboards to visualize different scenarios for the top three opportunities, adding depth and clarity to these ideas. This process also helped us develop a shared understanding of what the solution could look like.

Step 8: A step towards building the solution - Information Architecture

With this shared understanding, we began discussing the structure of our solution, defining the MVP and key features. Building on this, we proceeded to design the information architecture.

Step 9: Crafting the solution - Wireframes

I created wireframes for the core functionalities of the solution, which we used to validate the concept with our mentor and uncover a few gaps.

Draft #1 of UI Designs

After receiving feedback from our mentor, I began drafting the first set of designs, focusing on refining the core functionalities. This stage involved iterating on the wireframes and incorporating suggestions.

Step 10: Iteration to improve experience: Heuristic Evaluation & User Testing

I identified five heuristic issues and four strong aspects of the design. The main challenges revolved around consistency, visibility of system status, and ensuring the interface aligns with real-world expectations. These findings highlighted areas for improvement and the design’s strengths, guiding the next steps for refinement.

I uncovered key usability issues and valuable user insights through four think-aloud sessions. Participants found the overall concept interesting but suggested clearer icon labels, back buttons, and the need for a friendlier user flow.

Replaced rating scales with positive, action-oriented buttons to offer support without implying judgment.

Users expressed concerns about quitting alone, so we introduced two quitting methods: SOLO and FRIEND.

A motivation board supports solo quitters, while a chat feature connects those quitting with a friend.

Users were concerned about keeping the app active during longer activities.

To address this, I added an activity status to the island and notification center, allowing users to track progress without keeping the app open. This feature can also be integrated with wearables.

Final Designs :)

I refined the UI based on feedback, addressed key usability issues from testing, and incorporated suggestions that aligned with the solution and user needs.

Onboarding

Home Page, Analytics, Support

Notifications

Trigger/Relapse Management

Reflection

I had a great experience working on the project, especially with Prof. Lynn Dombrowski, who has been a great mentor to me.

Research is an iterative process. It's crucial to integrate research throughout the design process and revisit it as needed.

I learned how to effectively communicate my rationale and justify design choices during ongoing discussions, ensuring alignment with both user needs and project goals.

I developed skills in managing multiple tasks, prioritizing deliverables, and adjusting schedules to meet deadlines, ensuring the project progressed smoothly.