JTBD Research Playbook

This playbook enables all GitLab team members to conduct JTBD research. For a deep dive into each aspect of a job canvas, review the Anatomy of a JTBD canvas. Reach out to a UX Researcher or JTBD expert if you have any questions.

A Note on Time, Confidence, and Validation

Running through the playbook process typically requires at least one quarter. Timelines vary based on job complexity and team JTBD experience.

Creating an unvalidated, assumptive JTBD canvas can be faster and valuable for team alignment. However, even with high domain knowledge, Job Performer interviews are recommended to validate Outcome statements.

Confidence Levels:

• High/Verified: Validated through Job Performer interviews
• Medium/Somewhat Assumptive: Based on existing user research
• Low/Assumptive: Based on domain knowledge without research

References

• JTBD overview
• Anatomy of a JTBD canvas

Playbook Process

Create an issue

Create an issue in UX Research Project using the discover-jtbd issue template. Tag your UX Researcher or ask for support in the #ux_research Slack channel.

Workshop 1: Scope Definition

Using the JTBD Canvas Template, you will define your Domain, Job Performer, and Main Job through a one-hour workshop with your Product Design DRI, Product Manager, and optionally Engineering and UX Research team members.

Exercise 1: Domain Selection (10 min)

When considering the Domain, ask yourself: Where do you want to innovate?

1. Brainstorm (5 min): List potential domains. Sections, Stage Groups, or Categories may be a good starting point.
2. Select (5 min): Choose one domain and add it to the canvas.

Exercise 2: Job Performer Selection (10 min)

When considering the Job Performer, ask yourself: Who are you innovating for? Where is there a need in our market? Who are we passionate about serving? What’s relevant or core to our business strategy?

1. Brainstorm (5 min): List actors/stakeholders who relate to the selected domain.
2. Vote (5 min): Each workshop participate votes
   • <3 participants: 2 votes each, you can vote on the same item

   • 3 participants: 1 vote each

3. Move winner to canvas

Exercise 3: Main Job Selection (15 min)

When considering the Main Job, ask yourself: What has strategic value? What are we passionate about? What can we best support? What aligns with our business, and what is the Job Performer’s core objective?

1. Brainstorm (10 min): List all jobs your selected Job Performer tries to accomplish
2. Vote (5 min): Each workshop participate votes
   • <3 participants: 2 votes each, you can vote on the same item

   • 3 participants: 1 vote each

3. Move winner to Main Job section
4. Move others to Related Jobs section

Exercise 4: Aspirations Selection (15 min)

When considering aspirations, ask yourself: What does our Job Performer aspire to become after completing the Main Job? What are their ultimate goals beyond completing this task?

1. Brainstorm (10 min): List what Job Performer wants to become after completing Main Job
2. Vote (5 min):
   • <3 participants: 6 votes each, you can vote on the same item

   • 3 participants: 3 votes each

3. Move top 3 to Aspirations section

Conduct Investigation Interviews

Conduct 5-10 one-hour interviews with representative Job Performers to understand and validate the bottom half of the JTBD Canvas: Job Map, Emotional/Social aspects, Outcomes, and Job Differentiators. Add more interviews if needed until patterns emerge.

Structure:

• Moderator and notetaker present
• Notetaker documents Job Steps during interview
• Review canvas with participant for accuracy

Interview Goals:

• Map Job Steps
• Identify desired Outcomes
• Discover Related Jobs
• Understand Job Differentiators

See the Figjam template interview guide for helpful prompts.

Complete Canvas

After interviews, synthesize the collected information into your JTBD Canvas, focusing on common patterns and discarding outliers. Consider collaborating with a UX Researcher for their expertise in data synthesis.

Exercise 1: Complete Job Map

1. If per-interview Job Maps were not created during interviews, create them now:
   • Capture steps chronologically by reviewing interview notes/videos
   • Rewrite steps following the Job Step guidelines
2. Create unified Job Map:
   • Group steps into Beginning, Middle, and End categories
   • Organize related steps into vertical stacks
   • Label stacks with a high-level, single-word verb descriptor

Exercise 2: Construct Outcome Statements

1. Identify how the Job Performer would measure the success of completing the Main Job and create a sticky for each success measure
2. Format following the Outcome guidelines
3. Aim for 50-100 statements for later validation

Exercise 3: Synthesize Emotional and Social Aspects

1. Emotional Aspects:

   • Extract references to how the Job Performer feels when performing the Main Job
   • Format per guidelines

2. Social Aspects:

   • Extract references to how the Job Performer wants to be perceptived when performing the Main Job
   • Format per guidelines

Exercise 4: Gather Job Differentiators

1. Identify factors that affect how the Job Performer completes Main Job
2. Format per guidelines

Workshop 2: Map and Prioritize

Using your Job Canvas, you will select your Job Steps, Emotional & Social Aspects, and Job Differentiators through a one-hour workshop with your Product Design DRI, Product Manager, and optionally Engineering and UX Research team members.

Exercise 1: Review and Select Job Steps (15 min)

When considering the most important job steps, ask yourself: Which steps are most challenging yet crucial to success?

1. Review Job Map (5 min)
   • Verify accuracy against interview data
   • Make necessary adjustments
2. Vote on Critical Steps (10 min)
   • <3 participants: 2 votes each, you can vote on the same item

   • 3 participants: 1 vote each

3. Discuss votes to align on priorities
4. Identify top voted steps
5. Copy final Job Map to canvas, marking selected steps

Exercise 2: Select Emotional Aspect Statements (10 min)

When considering emotional aspects, ask yourself: Who are you innovating for? Where is there a need in our market? Who are we passionate about serving? What’s relevant or core to our business strategy?

1. Review (5 min)
   • Share emotional aspects with team
   • Ensure understanding
2. Vote (5 min)
   • <3 participants: 6 votes each, you can vote on the same item

   • 3 participants: 3 votes each

3. Arrange votes in priority pyramid
4. Confirm team alignment on top choices
5. Move top emotional aspects to canvas

Exercise 3: Select Social Aspect Statements (10 min)

Repeat Exercise 2 to select the Social Aspect Statements.

Exercise 4: Select Job Differentiator Statements (10 min)

Repeat Exercise 2 to select Job Differentiator Statements.

🎉🥳 Congratultations you have successuflly created a validated JTBD Canvas! 🥳🎉

Outcome Opportunity Scores Survey

Run this survey using the qualtrics template to prioritize your Outcome Statements. It is recommended to work with your UX Researcher to craft and delivery this survey.

For each Outcome Statement, ask:

1. How important is this (Outcome) to you?
2. How well is this (Outcome) currently being satisfied?

Requirements:

• Screen for participants who perform the Main Job
• Target ~50 qualified responses
• Include both GitLab and non-GitLab users
• Use 10-point scale (1=‘very low’, 10=‘very high’)

Resources:

• Analysis spreadsheet

Calculating Scores

The analysis spreadsheet template offers a step by step guide to exporting data from a Qualtrics survey and generating a ranked list of Outcome statements with opportunity scores.

Opportunity scores run from 0-20. Even scores below 10 indicate room for improvement - prioritize highest scores within your range.

1. Satisfaction gap: Importance - Satisfaction
2. Opportunity score: Importance + Satisfaction gap

Score	Priority Level
16-20	Immediate action needed
10-15	High priority
7-9	Monitor
≤6	Lower priority

Generate Job Stories

Job Stories synthesize data from your Job Canvas to encapsulate customer pain points without prescribing solutions. They help align development with company vision and strategy. Each domain typically has 3-5 Job Stories.

Key characteristics:

• Evidence-based from Job Canvas data
• Specific about the pain point
• Builds empathy through context
• Aspirational but achievable
• Self-evident and well-researched

Pain points must:

• Express needs, not solutions
• Be concrete, not abstract
• Be measurable, not anecdotal

Job Story Format

1. When I [at this Job Step] + [under the conditions of these Job Differentiators]
2. I want [this New Ability/customer imperative]
3. So I can [reach these Outcomes] + [and have these Emotional/Social Aspects]

Ways to use Job Stories

• Generate How Might We (HMW) statements
• Define Design Sprint challenges
• Create testable MVP hypotheses:
  • We believe that [job performers]
  • Will achieve [desired outcome]
  • While performing [job step]
  • Using [proposed solution].
  • Success will be evidenced by [specific measure]
• Ensure issues are solving validated problems
• Define usability testing criteria