How UX teams can use the Jobs-to-be-Done framework

Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD) is a favored UX research framework that emphasizes understanding the underlying reasons customers choose products, differing from traditional personas by focusing on causation rather than correlation. The JTBD approach, developed by thought leaders like Clayton Christensen and Bob Moesta, identifies the specific "jobs" customers hire products to perform, taking into account the context-dependent needs and motivations driving those decisions. Through methods like the JTBD Switch Interview, researchers can uncover the forces that influence customer behavior, such as pushes and pulls that drive change and habits and anxieties that resist it. An illustrative case study involving a home purchase decision highlights how emotional and social factors can outweigh functional attributes, emphasizing the importance of understanding these dynamics to guide product innovation and UX design. JTBD insights can help prioritize product development efforts, ensuring they align with the true needs and desires of users, ultimately enhancing customer satisfaction and market success.