2026
Unlit: A Mobile Trigger Management System for Smoking Cessation
Sanika Barawkar
This thesis explores how digital tools can better support people navigating the nonlinear process of smoking cessation. Research with people who had attempted to quit, tobacco cessation specialists, behavior-change practitioners, and healthcare designers revealed that many people already understand what triggers their cravings. The greater challenge is knowing what to do when those moments arrive. In response, the project investigates how timely, personalized interventions can help bridge the gap between recognizing a craving and taking an alternative action, while treating setbacks as opportunities for learning rather than failure.
The resulting concept, Unlit, is a mobile trigger-management system designed to provide
support before and during high-risk craving moments. The system combines low-friction
craving logging with physiological and contextual signals to identify patterns over
time and offer personalized interventions, including guided breathing, grounding exercises,
motivational reminders, cognitive reframing, and social support. Through iterative
prototyping and testing, Unlit emphasizes minimal interaction, emotional sensitivity,
transparency, and user control. By adapting support to individual patterns and needs,
the project proposes a more responsive approach to smoking cessation that helps people
understand their behavior, reconnect with their motivations, and navigate difficult
moments with greater confidence.
