Grip

UI/UX, Product Design, User Research, IoT

Role: Research, UX Design, Visual Design, Branding, Art Direction, Video Editing

Teammates: Wenyuan Xu (UX Design & IA), Andy Kim (Product Design), Echo Cho (Product Design)

2018

Grip is a smart system of products helping smokers gradually quit smoking by maximizing the support from their loved ones.

Grip encourages the quitters and their significant other to set a plan to quit smoking as a mutual goal, engage in proactive communication about their feelings and progress of the gradual cessation, and receive a reward for milestones, in order to stick to the plan.

Challenge

According to research, 70% of the U.S. smokers want to quit, but only 6% of them succeed. Abrupt smoking cessation, also known as “cold turkey”, is more effective, however, most people prefer quitting gradually. Meanwhile, there are often conflicts between smokers and their loved ones that may cause issues with their relationship. What if we can leverage the support from their loved ones, so that it can have a positive impact on the smoking cessation?

Our Solutions

Quitter’s App

Daily Plan

The quitter can view and set up a daily schedule of the cigarettes that he’s allowed to smoke based on the quit plan. He can also adjust the time later. By breaking the the number of cigarettes into different time period of the day, it is easier for the quitter to stick to his quit plan, and reduce the daily cigarettes after a while.

Quitter’s App

Negotiation

If the user has already smoked up the cigarettes on the daily plan, but still has a craving that he is not able to overcome, he can negotiate with the Grip system. After selecting the number of cigarettes he still wants to smoke, he needs to choose one option that he will do in return, such as he will “reduce one cigarette each day starting tomorrow” or “reduce two cigarettes tomorrow and the quit plan doesn’t change after.”

Supporter’s App

Craving Pattern Found

The system analyzes quitter’s craving pattern, and the supporter can receive the information in the system. This allows the supporter to better understand the quitter’s craving as wells as difficulty in the process of smoke cessation, and can suggest doing some activity together as a distraction when the quitter is likely to have a craving.

Quitter + Supporter’s App

Conversation History

Both the quitter and supporter have access to their conversation history, recored by the Grip home device.

User Journey Map

Based on the insights we gathered from the stakeholder interviews, we created a current user journey map to visualize their emotional experience of the key touch points after they start quitting smoking “cold turkey”. Many people who decide to quit smoking are likely to fail at the first few days because the addiction to nicotine is hard to be cut off immediately. They will have cravings as they feel uncomfortable when the body doesn’t get nicotine.

Personas

Based on our user research findings, we created 2 personas that embodied the archetype of our target user groups. They are John and Sara, a married couple. The reason why John decides to quit smoking is that they plan to have a baby. Sara is willing to help John to quit as it’s hard for him to quit on his own.

Affinity Diagram

We did affinity diagramming on the personas’ wants and needs in the system, based on their wants and needs, and the behaviors emotions during the smoking cessation period.

Products Overview

Grip system consists of 4 products—Home, Mobile App, Quitter’s Ring and Supporter’s Ring.

System Diagram

Primary Scenario

User Flow Boards

Grip App

Grip Rings

Visual Style Guide

Product Design

Grip Rings

Quiet & Quick Information

Grip Ring provides a quiet and quick overview of the daily plan. It tracks the user's smoking habit with a smoke detector. Also, you can press the button on the back to record cravings and send a help message to the supporter.

Bring Empathy with Interactions

The supporter can feel the vibration on their Grip Supporter Ring when the quitter sends a help message. Grip system suggests supporters send love and supporting words to the quitter. Grip keeps two people together connected with self-charging, thermal energy battery.

Grip Home

Create Space for Conversation

Grip home is a smart home device that creates a conversational space for the couple to engage in proactive communication about their feelings and progress of the gradual cessation. It suggests rewards for the milestones, which helps the quitter to stick to the plan.