SMAT Reinvents Itself with a Supportive Approach

A Strategic Project for Smoking Cessation

As part of the 2020-2025 Stratégie pour un Québec sans tabac, the Canadian Cancer Society needed to modernize the Service de Messagerie pour Arrêter le Tabac (SMAT), a key program designed to support smokers in their quitting journey. Despite its proven impact, the outdated platform was limiting its effectiveness and failing to engage 18-34-year-olds, a crucial target audience requiring a more tailored digital experience.

Support for quitting smoking relies on trust and consistency. This was not just a technical update but a complete reinvention of the experience to make it more engaging, accessible, and personalized. We adopted a comprehensive strategic approach, integrating refined segmentation, a more engaging tone, and a renewed brand identity to enhance retention and maximize impact. We faced a twofold challenge: modernizing SMAT to deliver a more immersive and interactive experience while ensuring a seamless transition for existing users. Through close collaboration and a precisely designed technological integration that combined innovation and stability, we successfully met the challenge.

Brand Strategy
Brand Tone
Brand Identity
Copywriting
Digital Strategy
Business Strategy
Art Direction
Performance Optimization
User Experience & User Journeys
Information Architecture
Wireframing & Prototyping
Interaction Design
Craft CMS Development
Security

Tailored Segmentation for Better Support

One of the major advancements in this project was the segmentation of user journeys. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, we completely reprogrammed the user pathways and messaging system to offer personalized communication based on age and engagement level. Users aged 18-34 benefit from a more dynamic and motivational tone, while those 35 and older receive structured and reassuring support. This level of personalization not only enhances the user experience but also optimizes the impact of messages, ensuring they resonate with each segment of smokers looking to quit. The result is a more effective and engaging support system.

A Strong and Supportive Identity

SMAT has repositioned itself with a more human and accessible brand identity. Every aspect—from the tone of its messages to its visual identity—was designed to build trust and connection with users. Instead of a directive approach, the new SMAT experience focuses on encouragement and guidance, ensuring every smoker feels supported—without judgment—throughout their quitting journey. With a warm and motivational tone and a stronger brand identity, SMAT is no longer just a service—it has become a true ally in quitting smoking.

A Mission That Matters

Every project like this one is an opportunity to bring an important mission to life. Transforming an essential service into an engaging experience was the core challenge of SMAT. By combining strategy, design, and technology, we aimed to create more than just a service—we built a true ally, capable of guiding and inspiring users at every step.

Josianne Chapdelaine

Project Manager at QuatreCentQuatre

A Digital Experience Designed for Engagement

This redesign transformed the user experience into a more intuitive and interactive journey, making it easier to access resources and strengthening smokers’ motivation throughout their quitting journey. The platform now offers optimized navigation, providing quick and clear access to support tools and personalized advice. New interactive features allow users to customize the frequency of messages and the duration of their program, ensuring a flexible and adaptive experience. With a modernized interface and a more dynamic support system, SMAT goes beyond simply providing information—it becomes an active partner, guiding and supporting users at every stage of their journey.

A Collaborative, User-Centered Approach

From the outset, this project was developed in close collaboration with public health experts and target users to ensure a redesign that truly met their needs. Co-creation workshops helped identify key barriers and motivations, allowing us to refine the service and maximize its effectiveness. This participatory approach resulted in a solution that combines strategy, technology, and human-centered support, creating a service that is accessible, relevant, and highly engaging.

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