Create Job Statements
Once we’ve identified the jobs to be done, we’ll need a way to express them clearly and succinctly to a wide range of contributors. We’ll want to ensure that stakeholders, designers, developers, and consumers have a shared understanding of our intended outcome.
JTBD is a powerful frame of reference that can be applied to product design, among other things. For a more detailed overview of JTBD, take a look at “An Introduction to Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD) in Digital Product Design.”
How do we create job statements?
As designers, we often need to hold ourselves back from rushing to a solution. While it can be easy to let our imaginations run free, job statements help us to define real problems so that we can act upon them. Expressing our intentions in the form of job statements is the first step towards developing an idea into a tangible solution.
All job statements follow the same basic formula: [action] [object] [context]
Let’s break down each of these elements:
Action: A specific verb that relates to the job being done (push, pull).
Object: A noun that the action is being performed on (push the button, pull the lever).
Context: The situation or environment where that specific job exists (push the button in the elevator, pull the lever on the control panel).
Let’s examine an example. Suppose a bank wants to analyze areas where users interact with a PIN number. What are some of the job statements that may come out of that particular ask?
- We could say “I type (action) my PIN number (object) into my phone to gain access to my account information (context)”
- We may also consider “I type (action) my PIN number (object) into a POS keypad to make a purchase (context)”
- Or perhaps, “I type (action) my PIN number (object) into an ATM in public, privately. No one else can see what I’m entering”
As we can see from these examples, a number of contexts can exist with the same actions and objects. The more detailed the context is, the more refined our solution will be. Since people are often motivated by multiple factors, it’s helpful to address the emotional aspects that may influence a decision.
For example, we may enhance the last example further by reiterating some of these emotions — “I type (action) my PIN number (object) at an ATM in public at 3 AM, no one else can see what I’m entering because I’m worried about getting ripped off.”
How might these emotional factors affect design decisions that a bank incorporates? They may add more security around the PIN pad to decrease the risk of fraud. Or perhaps they may discern that the real problem is that their users have no way of transferring money conveniently at that time and so they opt for cash exchanges. In that case, maybe their solution has nothing to do with the PIN pad itself and instead focuses on the ability to send money to someone electronically.
How can I apply this to product design?
- Follow the formula discussed above. Identify [actions] [objects] [contexts]. Remember that the clearer the context, the more refined our solution will be.
- It’s important to incorporate the emotional factors that may drive an individual to engage in a particular action. This particular aspect has a large bearing on the solutions we deliver.
- Writing up job statements is a great way to interface with multiple stakeholders on a product. Job statements become actionable tasks, that when addressed, produce tangible results.
This is article 5 of 6 in the series “Applying Jobs-to-be-Done to Digital Product Design.”
Next up, learn about how to Prioritize JTBD Opportunities.
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