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Jobs-to-Be-Doneby Owl-Listener

Jobs-to-Be-Done Skill.

Reframe a product decision around what someone is trying to accomplish.

  • UX Research
  • Product Strategy
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Source Review · Jobs-to-Be-DoneSKILL.md
Task UX Research Produces • Situation, motivation, and outcome statements for the core job. • A lifecycle map covering preparation, execution, and follow-through. • An opportunity summary comparing current solutions with unmet outcomes. Before You Start Requires user research or clearly labeled hypotheses; it does not collect interviews itself.
Editorial summary · source reviewed 2026-10-07 · not a generated example

01 What It Does

Map the Job Behind a Feature Request

A structured JTBD mapping method covering three motivational dimensions, lifecycle stages, and current alternatives.

Source-based workflowNot an execution benchmark

The Working Approach

Jobs-to-Be-Done looks beyond a requested feature to the progress a person wants to make in a particular situation. It separates the practical outcome from emotional expectations and social concerns, then connects those dimensions to the ways people already solve the problem.

The source covers the full job lifecycle, from defining and preparing a task through execution, monitoring, modification, and conclusion. This is a motivation map, not a demographic persona. It is especially useful when several products or manual workarounds appear different but are being used for the same underlying job.

Expected Deliverables

  • Situation, motivation, and outcome statements for the core job.
  • A lifecycle map covering preparation, execution, and follow-through.
  • An opportunity summary comparing current solutions with unmet outcomes.
See the Example Brief

From Brief to Review

  1. 01
    Identify the Core Job

    Read supplied interviews and product context to distinguish the job from the particular tool used today.

  2. 02
    Separate the Dimensions

    Describe practical goals, desired or avoided feelings, and how the person wants to be perceived.

  3. 03
    Map Solutions and Gaps

    Trace the job stages and expected outcomes, then locate where current approaches underserve them.

02 When to Use It

When to Use It

Requires user research or clearly labeled hypotheses; it does not collect interviews itself.

A Good Fit

  • Feature ReframingUseful when a request names a solution before the underlying motivation has been understood.
  • Comparing WorkaroundsMakes it possible to compare spreadsheets, services, and manual processes against the same outcome.

Limits to Check

  • Not a PersonaIt emphasizes motivation in a situation rather than a complete reference profile of the user.
  • No Invented Emotional EvidenceEmotional and social jobs need research support or a visible hypothesis label.

Bring These Inputs

  • Interview EvidenceSupply accounts of real situations, decisions, and attempted solutions.
  • Product ContextExplain the current offer and the task being reconsidered.
  • Outcome ExpectationsInclude stated definitions of success, obstacles, and trade-offs where available.

03 Decisions That Matter

Decisions That Matter

  1. Beyond Functional Requirements

    A solution can finish a task while still undermining confidence or professional credibility. The three dimensions make those tensions explicit.

  2. Lifecycle Coverage

    Preparing and concluding a task may contain important unmet needs that a feature list centered on execution would miss.

04 Try a Focused Brief

Try a Focused Brief

The example brief below has not been tested. Check the skill’s setup before using it.

Review the Setup

Use the repository's documented installation route and retain any referenced companion files. This entry describes a focused design method rather than an executable application.

Upstream Source File
https://github.com/Owl-Listener/designer-skills/blob/9a6930cf84a822eb458624bd11c61aac5bbdf224/design-research/skills/jobs-to-be-done/SKILL.md

Requires user research or clearly labeled hypotheses; it does not collect interviews itself.

Start With One Deliverable

Adapt the scope, source material and constraints in this brief before running the skill.

Example Brief
Use jobs-to-be-done on these interviews about producing monthly client reports. Separate functional, emotional, and social jobs, map the lifecycle, and compare current spreadsheet and slide workflows. For every opportunity, distinguish a supported observation from a hypothesis; do not turn requested features directly into jobs.

Inspect the Result

Check the actual output against these observable criteria.

  • Job statements describe a situation and desired progress, not a product feature.
  • All three dimensions are distinguished.
  • Proposed opportunities connect to a lifecycle stage and supplied evidence.

OpenDesign provides a local design workspace for coding agents. This listing does not mean the skill is bundled or that its external tools, credentials and software dependencies are included.

Download OpenDesignRead the Quickstart

05 Source and License

Source and License

This page describes the pinned source revision linked below. Upstream behavior and requirements can change.

Source Owner
Owl-Listener
Repository
Owl-Listener/designer-skills
Skill File
design-research/skills/jobs-to-be-done/SKILL.md
License
MIT
Reviewed Snapshot
2026-10-07 · 9a6930cf84a8
Editorial Source Summary
A structured JTBD mapping method covering three motivational dimensions, lifecycle stages, and current alternatives.

Original summary by OpenDesign, based on the linked source. Repository stars are a dated popularity signal, not skill usage or a quality score.

06 Questions Before You Start

Questions Before You Start

How is this different from a user persona?

A persona summarizes behavioral patterns of a user group. JTBD emphasizes the motivation and expected outcome in a specific situation.

Does every job require a new product?

No. Mapping existing solutions may reveal that a process change or a better-supported current workflow is sufficient.

Can it prioritize opportunities automatically?

It identifies gaps in current solutions and their design implications, but does not supply measured market demand or a validated prioritization model.

OpenDesign

Make Room for the Next Design Iteration.

Keep your brief, source material and design work together in a local workspace. Check the skill’s own setup before adding it to your workflow.

Download OpenDesignBrowse Design Skills
Upstream Source File
https://github.com/Owl-Listener/designer-skills/blob/9a6930cf84a822eb458624bd11c61aac5bbdf224/design-research/skills/jobs-to-be-done/SKILL.md