Connecting for Change

IQOS offers heated tobacco users alternatives to smoking.

^{M Y R O L E}

User Experience
(Midweight UX)

^{T E A M}

Atlas (Lead UX), Shirley (Senior UX), Rui (UI), Rex (PM)

^{T O O L S}

Figma, Adobe XD, Mura

^{D E L I V E R Y}

Service Blueprint, User Flow, Hi-Fi Wireframe, Pattern Library

^{T I M E}

3 months

C L I E N T

Cigarette company Philip Morris International (PMI) introduced IQOS as the new alternative to smoking cigarettes that delivers tobacco taste backed by science and technology.

O V E R V I E W

PMI aims to deliver a smoke-free future with products that — while not risk-free — are a far better choice than cigarette smoking.

O B J E C T I V E

With a focus on the Japanese market, this project aimed to ultimately influence more users to adopt IQOS instead of traditional tobacco. This entailed figuring out actual ‘user needs’ underneath ‘user wants’ to discover strategies that would encourage interaction between a user and PMI’s business channels. These channels include various communication points, including websites, apps, ads, or face-to-face interaction.

P R O B L E M

Users need to learn about the product's benefits before they are convinced to make the purchase.

S O L U T I O N S

^{Decision-making focused marketing}

Marketing strategies designed to simplify service processes and increase touchpoints help users navigate the decision-making process and purchasing journey smoothly.

^{Convenient access to product and product knowledge}

Users can quickly discover, learn about, test out, and find the products to purchase via convenient and accessible opportunities.

P R O C E S S

^Discover

Stakeholder Mapping Workshop

^Define

Audience Segmentation

^Ideate

Experience Blueprint

^Empathise

Customer Journey Map

^Explore

User Flow

^Prototype

Wireframe Localisation

^Ideate

Next Step

D I S C O V E R

Stakeholder Mapping Workshop

For the team to dive deeply into analysing how users interact with the product, I assisted in designing and facilitating a workshop engaging PMI employees.

Taking into account all who have a stake in this project, I identified participants of the workshop as:

• Stakeholders interested in or are somehow involved with the identified problems.
• Stakeholders directly affected by the decision made as a result of this project
• Gatekeepers control access to people or resources needed to execute the solutions.

The workshop was split into four stages of the user journey – Learn, Experience, Live and Advocate. These sections were explored in the multiple sessions conducted.

D I S C O V E R

^{Workshop Takeaway}

#1
^{high entry level}

First-time users do not know how to get started using the product.

#2
^{inaccessible help resources}

Customers do not know how to obtain information when they face difficulties accessing the service and products.

#3
^{unconvinced of the benefits}

Users are unwilling to switch from traditional cigarettes to IQOS because they are unaware of the benefits of heated tobacco.

#4
^{difficulties in locating the product}

Users do not know where they can purchase the products.

#5^{unfamiliar with heated tobacco legal usage restrictions}

Users are not sure where they are allowed to use IQOS.

D I S C O V E R

Qualitative Data

Our Japanese team interviewed our target users to learn more about how a customer interacts with and experiences IQOS products and services. I conducted heatmap analytics to make sense of customers’ perceptions of utility, ease of use, and efficiency.

Qualitative data gathered from these observations were incredibly insightful. It allowed us to identify more pain points users face when attempting to purchase the product or navigating through purchase channels.

D E F I N E

Audience Segmentation

Analysis based on the collected data helped us identify different user segments and construct user personas, allowing the team to empathise with the users better and cater services targeting individual segments.

We developed proto-personas, which were constructed based on experience and observation. Looking at the headspace of users observed from the qualitative data, users were broadly split into their respective age groups and further categorised based on their interactions with IQOS devices.

_{20 - 50 years old}

New legal age user
who have not used any IQOS product

“Can I try using it before buying the device?”

Returning IQOS legal age user
who have used IQOS but have since stopped

“Is it more convenient to use IQOS than tobacco?”

Existing IQOS legal age user
who were using older models of the IQOS device

“Are there more options for the flavours?”

_{50 + years old}

New legal age user
who have not used any IQOS product

“Where can I purchase other than the official line account?”

Returning IQOS legal age user
who have used IQOS but have since stopped

“Is using IQOS better than smoking a conventional cigarette?”

Existing IQOS legal age user
who were using older models of the IQOS device

“How to use my device correctly?”

Audience segmentation was helpful for the team In trying to understand both existing and target users, their motivations, needs, and barriers. Creating such personas allowed us to reflect on realistic situations of our target user’s experiences and interactions with the product.

Possible and unique strategies were required to counter the unsatisfying expertise of respective user groups. To do this, we took a deep dive into individual personas, fleshing out different factors that might influence each user’s experience. The ultimate aim was to encourage these users to try and buy these products before eventually converting to and advocating the product.

I D E A T E

Serviec Blueprint

A customer experience map is a generative tool for our team to locate precise and hard-to-notice user needs to:

_{1. Discover opportunities to improve the general user experience of the IQOS product

2. explore and influence ideas for PMI to connect with their customers more effectively.}

I tapped into previously defined key personas and information gathered from stakeholders to achieve the above outcome while brainstorming and pulling apart complex business and consumer problems. We mapped out all possible concepts, displaying all interaction touchpoints between consumers with IQOS services and devices. The detailed framework assisted us in proposing key internal business processes and campaigns for PMI to consider.

As a team, we also brainstormed Integrated strategic initiatives to counter and tackle consumer needs and wants. We refine these solutions into future state strategic initiatives and programmes to guide stakeholders in making real tangible changes to achieve peak effectiveness.

E M P H A T H I S E

User Journey Map

The blueprint includes a user journey map, where I visualised actual and anticipated interactions under various journey stages. I focus on predicting and mapping customer action by anticipating their functional and emotional needs. These high-level user scenarios were valuable for our team to visualise experiential solutions, which users might appreciate most in their contexts of use.

E X P L O R E

User Flow

One of the main interaction tools IQOS Japan utilises to engage with its users is their official Line account.

Based on the above foundation experience blueprint, the team began to work on a total of eight user flows targeting different user segments, with particular attention paid to how customers interact with the IQOS line account when intending to purchase or sign up for product trials.

The working process involves:

1. dentifying service features crucial in fulfilling different user needs from the interaction
2. platform tapping on opportunities beneficial in getting users to complete their purchase or sign-up journey.

The result is multiple future state user flows for IQOS products, including all ideas and unique features we had come up with. I was assigned to focus on catering user flows to those who do not complete their cart purchase and older generations of users.

_{50+ Legal Age Smoker Buy/Subscribe}

_{Defined Goal}

Get senior users to try or buy and subscribe, with ‘try’ being the priority for this journey.

_{Identified Personalisation Opportunities}

Based on age range (50s-60s to 70s), occupation (blue-collar or white-collar), reasons for switching to IQOS, and field sales insights.

_{Instead of designing for the correct answer, I developed a flexible system optimised for learning and optionality. With these user segment qualities in mind and the goal of the interaction, I designed the user flow to encourage a 14-day trial programme and deliver product information effectively to make the onboarding process for new users more convenient and accessible.}

_{Legal Age Smoker Abandoned Cart}

_{Defined Goal}

To increase the conversion rate of users who have abandoned their car

_{Identified Personalisation Opportunities}

Include delivering personalized messages driven by user intent, utilizing user data and cart items, recommending device alternatives, simplifying the checkout process, and offering guest checkout options.

I designed exit questions for this user segment for when a user decides to exit the checkout section without making a payment. I then established a guideline to indicate the interruptive, contextual, and urgency levels for each type of reason for abandoning the cart. Based on their answers, personalised interactions were presented to these users, such as displaying current in-store promotions, further product information, product benefits, or alternative payment methods.

P R O T O T Y P E

Site Features Localisation

Leveraging the global base wireframe created by the UK design team, I compared the international site with the existing Japanese site side by side to identify gaps between the two. Keeping these dissimilarities in mind, I retained essential content features for adapting and localising the global site for the Japanese market.

I realised that there were many more details on the Japanese site for the review section. All these features were lacking from the global zone.

#1
_{An additional score scale for the users to rate the product base on its quality and value for the price}

#2
_{positive and negative customer remarks on the product were shown above the overall review section}

#3
_{the use of a verified sign was employed and shown next to the usernames of each reviewer, increasing trust in the review amongst readers}

The aim was to communicate and adapt these additional customer review features from the existing Japanese site to the new localised site. I created new icons for the extra features referencing the look and feel of the global site review section and the brand guideline. As a result, I refined and incorporated elements available on the Japanese market within the new site without a sense of incongruity.

P R O T O T Y P E

Prototyping Platform Migration

This localisation process also included migrating wireframe assets from Sketch to Adobe XD. Since the two design programmes were not meant to be used together or synchronised, I had to manually recreate the entire assets library in Adobe XD for the convenience of other team members' use in the future

I also adjusted the font library with many margin adjustments to fit the Japanese font type. Padding and margin guides were newly created for the wireframes to be explicitly used for the Japanese market.

P R O T O T Y P E

Localised Wireframe

I D E A T E

Next Step

Implementing suggestions from the service blueprint into an actual marketing campaign and translating ideas into solutions using a customer journey map is just a peek into how we refined the digital aspect of PMI’s service through usability testing.

However, the online experience is just a fragment of the service experience. Long-term building of brand reputation is crucial, and the development of trust and personal relationships stretches across physical and digital realms. Ideally, the recommendation raised through this project can ultimately lead and weave into all aspects of engagement between PMI and their customers.

W O R K S

A B O U T

G A L L E R Y

Connecting for Change

M Y R O L E

T E A M

T O O L S

D E L I V E R Y

T I M E

C L I E N T

O V E R V I E W

O B J E C T I V E

P R O B L E M

Users need to learn about the product's benefits before they are convinced to make the purchase.

S O L U T I O N S

Decision-making focused marketing

Convenient access to product and product knowledge

P R O C E S S

Discover

Define

Ideate

Empathise

Explore

Prototype

Ideate

Stakeholder Mapping Workshop

• Stakeholders interested in or are somehow involved with the identified problems. • Stakeholders directly affected by the decision made as a result of this project • Gatekeepers control access to people or resources needed to execute the solutions.

Workshop Takeaway

Workshop Takeaway

#1 high entry level

#2 inaccessible help resources

#3 unconvinced of the benefits

#4 difficulties in locating the product

#5 unfamiliar with heated tobacco legal usage restrictions

Qualitative Data

Audience Segmentation

20 - 50 years old

“Can I try using it before buying the device?”

“Is it more convenient to use IQOS than tobacco?”

“Are there more options for the flavours?”

50 + years old

“Where can I purchase other than the official line account?”

“Is using IQOS better than smoking a conventional cigarette?”

“How to use my device correctly?”

Serviec Blueprint

1. Discover opportunities to improve the general user experience of the IQOS product 2. explore and influence ideas for PMI to connect with their customers more effectively.

User Journey Map

User Flow

1. dentifying service features crucial in fulfilling different user needs from the interaction 2. platform tapping on opportunities beneficial in getting users to complete their purchase or sign-up journey.

50+ Legal Age Smoker Buy/Subscribe

Defined Goal

Identified Personalisation Opportunities

Legal Age Smoker Abandoned Cart

Defined Goal

Identified Personalisation Opportunities

Site Features Localisation

#1 An additional score scale for the users to rate the product base on its quality and value for the price

#2 positive and negative customer remarks on the product were shown above the overall review section

#3 the use of a verified sign was employed and shown next to the usernames of each reviewer, increasing trust in the review amongst readers

Prototyping Platform Migration

Localised Wireframe

Next Step

^{M Y R O L E}

^{T E A M}

^{T O O L S}

^{D E L I V E R Y}

^{T I M E}

^{Decision-making focused marketing}

^{Convenient access to product and product knowledge}

^Discover

^Define

^Ideate

^Empathise

^Explore

^Prototype

^Ideate

• Stakeholders interested in or are somehow involved with the identified problems.
• Stakeholders directly affected by the decision made as a result of this project
• Gatekeepers control access to people or resources needed to execute the solutions.

^{Workshop Takeaway}

#1
^{high entry level}

#2
^{inaccessible help resources}

#3
^{unconvinced of the benefits}

#4
^{difficulties in locating the product}

#5^{unfamiliar with heated tobacco legal usage restrictions}

_{20 - 50 years old}

_{50 + years old}

_{1. Discover opportunities to improve the general user experience of the IQOS product

2. explore and influence ideas for PMI to connect with their customers more effectively.}

1. dentifying service features crucial in fulfilling different user needs from the interaction
2. platform tapping on opportunities beneficial in getting users to complete their purchase or sign-up journey.

_{50+ Legal Age Smoker Buy/Subscribe}

_{Defined Goal}

_{Identified Personalisation Opportunities}

_{Legal Age Smoker Abandoned Cart}

_{Defined Goal}

_{Identified Personalisation Opportunities}

#1
_{An additional score scale for the users to rate the product base on its quality and value for the price}

#2
_{positive and negative customer remarks on the product were shown above the overall review section}

#3
_{the use of a verified sign was employed and shown next to the usernames of each reviewer, increasing trust in the review amongst readers}