06 Sep Jobs To Be Done vs UX

In preparation for a clients new website I was conducting research around underlying frameworks. I was glad to come across the strategy by Tony Ulwick, (CEO of Strategyn) known as the Jobs-to-be-Done theory.

After reading more about it I quickly realised that this theory is the precursor to some parts of UX theory. Its the original way of tackling User Journeys – a process I adopt which compliments my approach to web design using the Minto Pyramid Principal.

I’ll try to briefly explain how.

Minto Pyramid Principal

With regards to website design, I describe this method as a way of creating a logical content structure to support your company’s product or service claim.

This brilliantly un-inspiring diagram shows this:

I adopt this method to create logical content flows. When you pair this with general laws of UX you can create robust websites that can adapt and grow over time. They can do this because a solid pizza base of thinking has been considered from the original design and build phase.

Jobs-To-Be-Done (JTBD)

Enter this new (old) strategy for helping consumers/visitors achieve a given task – this is in some way a kind of user journey, theory or process. The creator describes it as:

JOBS-TO-BE-DONE is best defined as a perspective — a lens through which you can observe markets, customers, needs, competitors, and customer segments differently, and by doing so, make innovation far more predictable and profitable. 

I think I still prefer to describe it as a traditional User Journey. Simply because the term user journey is a constant reminder that a real complex person is involved in the process.

A user journey is best describe as a series of steps which describe the scenario or process that a person visiting your website might go through. Where JTBD is great is that it’s also a reminder that this complex person has an intention in their mind that is hidden from you – a Job-To-Be-Done.

Now in the interest of keeping this brief, i’d suggest some light reading and I feel that you may come to a similar conclusion that blending the Pyramid Principal, User Journeys and JTBD is a sure fire way of achieving a better result for your upcoming website project.