We hope these 3 simple tips on Jobs to be Done help as a starting point for conducting interviews and leveraging the learning for innovation ideas and messaging.

(As a refresher, as Clay Christensen explains, people don’t simply buy products or services; they pull them into their lives to make progress. We call this progress the “job” they are trying to get done). In practical terms, JTBD is both an interviewing approach and a resulting strategic foundation based on insights from consumers that can guide new ideas and design and communication briefs. We like to think of the utilization for communication and advertising as “Jobs to Message.”

1. Explore the trade-offs consumers make in a moment/ occasion to help identify motivations and higher-order needs.

2. Leverage the human motivations and “emotional jobs” into design (applying behavior design principles/practices).

3. Pay attention to the context and life circumstances you explore with people as rich inspiration for imagery and activation ideas.