Opt Out is a do-it-yourself anti-tobacco communication & smoking cessation tool

Collaborated with Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD), the team was asked to design a low-cost creative communication design solution for people who has problem in quitting smoking.

Learning about the Problem

After receiving the ACHD briefing on the design challenge, we initiated desk research to build a foundational understanding of the problem. Our first step was to analyze demographic data at both national and local levels. We then delved into the existing ecosystem of solutions, which included apps, books, websites, and forums, while also reviewing regulations and public policies surrounding tobacco use. Additionally, we explored various behavior change theories and examined the health impacts of smoking. To gain context, we visited local stores selling cigarettes, observed smokers in public spaces, and started identifying patterns and insights to shape our next steps.

To deepen our understanding, we conducted interviews with smokers and former smokers to gain firsthand insight into their experiences. These conversations focused on uncovering key motivators for quitting, the effectiveness of existing tools, and unmet needs in the quitting process. Combined with findings from our desk research, several critical insights emerged from these interviews:

• Smokers face challenges in identifying with the label "smoker"

• Smoking has a ‘ritualistic’ nature

• Tools that accommodate gradual change are more helpful than requiring an immediate commitment to quit smoking.

Finding the Best Smoking Cessation Solution

After thinking on our learning from desk and interview research, we were both drawn to the idea of a game, something smokers could do to engage their network of support and distract themselves from the urge to smoke. We researched card and board games as well as other multi-player games and decided that a card game would be most feasible, considering the size and comfort of fitting it into a pocket or purse. And, since a deck of cards is about the size of a standard cigarette pack, a physical tool like this could serve an ergonomic function as well. Smokers could carry it around, feeling safe in the familiar weight of a pack of cigarettes.

Because routine was also a key area of interest for us, we worked to dissect a smoker’s daily routine, looking for the key moments and motivators to smoke. From desk research and learning from interviews, we identified five critical moments in the day: the morning, when out with friends (especially while drinking alcohol), after meals, while waiting, and on work breaks. If these were the key moments prospective quitters were most tempted, we had to design a tool that could serve them in these key moments.

 Moving toward production

Following this interview, we decided to focus our card designs on actionable activities rather than games. Our aim was to offer smokers engaging, bite-sized distractions to help them navigate moments of high temptation. Additionally, we included a bonus category featuring fun, challenging activities designed for competitive individuals seeking a playful push in their journey to quit.

We spent considerable time refining both the category names and the overall name of the tool, ultimately balancing creativity with practical considerations like space constraints on the cards. After much iteration, we finalized the titles: Opt Out: A Deck of Cards to Help You Quit as the main tool, with categories such as Rise and Shine for morning cravings, Let’s Hang Out for social evenings, While You Wait for idle moments, Push Yourself for fun challenges, On a Full Belly for post-meal cravings, and Take a Break for moments of rest.

The card design itself also underwent multiple iterations. We experimented with various colors and shapes, evolving from a tile-based geometric style to the final, more dynamic diagonal design that balanced functionality with aesthetic appeal.

We then worked to source and build activities for each of the six categories. Language was kept light and informal, and we even avoided referencing smoking and quitting to make sure our tool was approachable and universally acceptable by a range of smokers. The choice of casual language, and a fun, playful tone, also contrasted the harsh, scientific language of many smoking cessation tools that promote an all or nothing, committed approach to quitting. 

 Print-at-Home PDF Files

The low-cost nature of our solution aligned seamlessly with the financial constraints of the Health Department. To enhance accessibility and ease of use, we designed it as a digital resource that could be hosted on the ACHD website and downloaded by users as needed.

To support this approach, we created a comprehensive digital package, including a file of the cards, a fillable PDF, box templates, and detailed assembly instructions for easy upload and use. We also tested multiple box designs, ultimately selecting the most intuitive and straightforward option to ensure hassle-free assembly for users.

 A Physical Surrogates

The card pack we designed mirrors the shape and size of a traditional cigarette pack, addressing both the ergonomic and psychological comfort associated with carrying a full pack of cigarettes. During interviews, we discovered that many smokers feel a strong need to carry a replacement for cigarette packs, as reaching for a box has become a habitual action when the urge to smoke arises. To redirect this behavior and prevent smokers from subconsciously reaching for cigarettes, we created a foldable box specifically designed to hold Opt Out cards. This compact design allows smokers to easily slip the pack into their pocket, offering a familiar yet healthier alternative.

We also designed an alternative box specifically for storing unsmoked cigarettes, addressing a key insight from our research and interviews: smokers are highly sensitive to the cost of cigarettes. This aligns with broader findings that rising cigarette prices are a major motivator for quitting. Additionally, many of our interviewees expressed a strong desire for visible, tangible indicators of their progress to reinforce their commitment.

The dark blue box serves as a physical and instant tracker of quitting progress. The concept is straightforward: each time smokers choose an alternative activity instead of smoking, they place an unsmoked cigarette into the box. By visibly accumulating and counting the saved cigarettes, users can immediately see the progress they’ve made. This tangible representation of success provides short-term motivation and helps sustain their efforts over time.

 Posters: Forward Facing Component

Recognizing that our target audience includes smokers who may not strongly identify as smokers, as well as individuals at various stages of quitting, we understood the importance of creating a forward-facing element to encourage them to engage with the tool. To address this need, we designed a series of posters aligned with the six activity categories. These posters would be strategically placed throughout the city to capture attention and prompt smokers to download the Opt Out tool.

These posters are designed to engage smokers in popular smoking areas, encouraging them to consider alternative activities instead of lighting up. Beyond promoting positive behavior, the posters also serve as a gateway to the ACHD website, where users can access and download the complete Opt Out card deck.

Add-on: Opt Out as App

While the physical Opt Out cards excel in their ergonomic design, creating a companion app could significantly expand the program’s reach and impact. The app would digitize the activity cards, leveraging technology to offer additional features such as crowdsourcing new content, integrating an interactive map, fostering a virtual community, and enabling progress tracking with aggregated impact data.

Through crowdsourcing, the app could continuously expand Opt Out’s activity database, ensuring a diverse range of activities tailored to different preferences. This dynamic approach would provide regular smokers with a steady stream of fresh content, maintaining engagement and enhancing their quitting journey over time.

The app would also feature an interactive map, allowing users to see other smokers within a specified radius who are opting out at the same time. This fosters a sense of community and mutual support. Users could send each other encouraging messages, and with mutual consent, the app could facilitate real-world meetups for additional motivation and camaraderie.

Additionally, Opt Out would enable users to track their progress and showcase aggregated community data, such as the total cigarettes not smoked, money saved, and reductions in air pollution. By quantifying both individual achievements and the collective impact of the community, the app empowers users to see the tangible results of their efforts. It also highlights how each person's journey contributes to a larger, meaningful movement.