Improving a quit-tobacco app through user research

What is shaping tobacco

Tobacco research sits at the meeting point of regulation, public health and farm livelihoods. Every study we take on in this sector follows strict ethical guidelines and focuses on compliance, awareness, livelihoods and cessation.

• Point-of-sale and packaging rules are tightly regulated
• Public-health programmes track awareness and cessation
• Farm households weigh alternative crops and livelihoods

A public-health NGO, working in Canada & Australia, online. Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.

Organisation

A public-health NGO

Sector

Tobacco

Team engaged

Market Research

Services

Qualitative research, UI/UX design, Online surveys

Many people downloaded the NGO’s quit app but stopped using it within days. The NGO wanted to understand why and how the app could better support people trying to quit.

• Deliver on the brief: improving a quit-tobacco app through user research.
• Measure how widespread each pattern is, and explain the reasons behind it.
• Give the client evidence it can act on within 7 weeks.

Scope: 28 interviews, 900 survey responses.

Audiences we typically reach in tobacco

Retailers and point-of-sale ownersTobacco farmersPublic-health programme teamsAdults trying to quitRegulators and enforcement officials

Coverage: Canada & Australia, online. Markets: Canada and Australia.

• Canada
• Australia

A mixed-method design: structured research measured how widespread each pattern was, and qualitative conversations explained why.

1. 1Brief
2. 2User interviews
3. 3Usability testing
4. 4In-app survey
5. 5Insight

We interviewed current and former users, tested the app with new users and ran an in-app survey on motivations and difficulties. Our design team turned the findings into redesigned onboarding and daily support flows.

Qualitative researchUI/UX designOnline surveys

• Online respondents were drawn from verified panel members who matched the screening criteria, with quotas on key profile attributes.
• Qualitative participants were recruited purposively to cover the full range of experiences that mattered, rather than for statistical representation.

interviews

28

survey responses

900

• The online survey was mobile-friendly and offered in respondents' languages.
• Interviews and discussions were led by experienced moderators using a guide agreed with the client.

• Digital fingerprinting and duplicate checks
• Attention, speed and straight-lining checks
• Review of open-ended answers
• Recordings and transcripts for every session
• Re-screening of qualitative recruits
• Logic and range checks on the final data
• Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures

• Cross-tabulation by key groups and locations
• Significance testing on the differences that mattered
• Thematic coding of interviews and discussions
• Journey and decision mapping

• Users felt overwhelmed by information and wanted short, personal check-ins during cravings.

For behaviour change, timely support matters more than detailed information.

• Build on the core insight: for behaviour change, timely support matters more than detailed information.
• Focus effort where the evidence was strongest: users felt overwhelmed by information and wanted short, personal check-ins during cravings.
• Re-measure after the changes to confirm the effect.

• The NGO simplified onboarding, added a craving support button and reminders, and saw users stay engaged longer in early testing.

What changed in the business as a result of the work. Impact is described qualitatively.

• Insight report and management presentation
• Cleaned data file and data tables
• Interview summaries and key verbatims

• Repeat the measure after changes are in place to track progress.
• A natural follow-on question: what helps adults quit successfully?