Capturing
Contexts
A workshop with jobs-to-be-done tools
Service Experience Camp 2015
Andrej Balaz, Hannes Jentsch & Martin Jordan
A service for the very moment
BAC KG RO UND
Product, Innovation, Design
H A N N E S J E N T S C H , 

Design & Innovation
Consultant, Freelance
@Kaffeertrinken
M A R T I N J O R DA N , 

Experience design,
HERE/Nokia
@Martin_Jordan
A N D R EJ BA L A Z , 

Senior Service
Designer, IXDS
@Designamyte
POINT O F VIEW
Customer jobs & hired solution
S O LU T I O N 

• toothpaste and toothbrush
J O B S
• having a fresh breath
• feeling fresh

• preventing caries
Ask & listen

to your neighbour
2
MIN
EACH
Which interesting food related
service did you start using this
year?
What ‘jobs’ is it doing for you?
What did do the job before?
WARM-UP
Uncovering jobs
Share with all of us
What is the
job of wine?
EX AMPLE
Let’s talk about

something pleasant …
Source: Laurence Veale / ‘The jobs wine is hired for’
https://medium.com/@laurenceveale/the-jobs-wine-is-hired-for-272a929ea8be
EX AMPLE
How most wines are

organised in wine stores
EX AMPLE
Organising the retail space around a
specific job: making dinner a little better
Source: Laurence Veale / ‘The jobs wine is hired for’
https://medium.com/@laurenceveale/the-jobs-wine-is-hired-for-272a929ea8be
EX AMPLE
Organising the retail space 

for a second job: expressing appreciation
Source: Laurence Veale / ‘The jobs wine is hired for’
https://medium.com/@laurenceveale/the-jobs-wine-is-hired-for-272a929ea8be
Uncovering customer jobs helps understanding

their desired outcomes
Finding your real competition,

refining the market you are in

Rephrasing the messaging around your offering

to match the customers’ mental model & language
EX AMPLE
Take-away
What is Pocket’s
context of use?
EX AMPLE
Let’s look at a mobile service
EX AMPLE
Pocket: in the office
5 min, end of
lunch break
EX AMPLE
Pocket: in the office
Found article,
saved for later
EX AMPLE
Pocket: on the go
15 mins time

to bridge
EX AMPLE
Pocket: on the go
Review articles,
choose one
EX AMPLE
Pocket: at home
On sofa, 45

min free time
EX AMPLE
Pocket: at home
Deep read &
shared w/ others
Main job of ‘making me a smarter, better human’
carried through various contexts and situations
Limited resources & capabilities in regards of time,
space & cognitive capacities
Specific sub-jobs that need a hand-over

from one situation to another
EX AMPLE
Take-away
+ + + + +
Situation
M
onday
M
orning
Rain
Alarm
didn’t
ring
Usuallygone
atthattim
e
Carin
repair
The better you can define the situation,

the better you can design the solution against
TOOLS & MINDSET S
Context for understanding situational needs
Goal-directed task analysis
to investigate needs depending on situation and goals
Situation
Raining
outside
Goal
Getting to
the office
Need
Getting there
in time
Need
Staying
dry
Situation
Hellish hot outside
Goal
Getting to
the office
Need
Not getting
sweaty
When
Where
Who
How
What
season
month
weekd
ay
daytime
occasionlocation
type
category
attrib.profile/mode
social
device
motion
useract.routine
traffic
facebook
c
ollec.
weather
Routinely used route
Routinely visited place
First time visit
Unknown area
Known area
…
Historical traffic around location
Congestion/incidents on route
Congestion/incidents around loc.
…
Visited by friends
Visited by me
Popular on facebook
Liked by friends
Liked by me
…
In
popular collection
In
m
yfriendscollection
In
m
ycollection…
FreezingCoolMild
Warm
Hot
Night
Day
Stormy
Snowy
Rainy
Foggy
Cloudy
Clear
Wetseason
Dryseason
Winter
Autumn
Summer
Spring
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
AugustSeptemberOctoberNovember
December
MondayTuesday
Wednesday
ThursdayFriday
Saturday
Sunday
Morning
Noon
Afternoon
Evening
Night
Sunrise
Sunset
…
At a planned appointment
Appointment scheduled in x hours
Leaving
In transit
Arriving
Early in month
Late in month (f.ex salary)
Commute
Travel
…
Outdoor
Indoor
Near POI of cat. XNear POI cluster of cat. XMoving towards X
Distance to destinationDistance to POI
…
On streetIn building
In/at venueIn park
On mountain
On water
…
Airport
Departm
ent store
Hotel
Cafe
Restaurant
ATM
Leisure
PTstation
Sight
Mall
Parkingspace
Junction
Highway
…
Pricerange
Openinghours
Availableparking
…
…
Commuter
CityDweller
Traveler
Age30-39
Age18-29
Age<18
Male
Female
…
Withanonymouscrowd
Withknownpeople
Alone
…
Roamingactive
Via3G
etc
ViaBluetooth
ViaWiFi
Desktop
Tablet
Phone
…
Ascending/descending
Trajectory/bearing/direction
DrivingWalkingStill
…
Using app since 1d/1w/1m
Calculated a route to/from
Reviewed
Shared to/byCollected
Searched for
…
Routine follow up action when x Situation
TOOLS & MINDSET S
Retool
Describe a
real user’s
need in
context
Validate
design
solutions
Communicate
the design task
TOOLS & MINDSET S
Job Stories
Formulate each job into a statement (or job story)
When I want to So I can
Situation Need Goal
TOOLS & MINDSET S
Job Stories
When I am on my island round trip where
I travel with a lot of stuff in a small backpack
and only unreliable connection to the Internet
I want to easily pick photos I took that day and
share them whenever I have the opportunity
So I can I can let my friends and family know
how I am.
TOOLS & MINDSET S
Job Stories
VALUE
Benefits for all team members
Product owners and managers know what kind of
products they are developing and who they are
competing with.
Developers know the context of the product and its
sprints, can prioritise better and see purpose.
Designers know the context and desired outcomes of
the user and can design against these accordingly.
QA engineers know the essential use and test cases,
can prioritise better.
“Often, because people are so focused on
the who and how, they totally miss the why.
When you start to understand the why, your
mind is then open to think of creative and
original ways to solve the problem.

”
QUOTE
— A L A N K L E M E N T, Product designer & engineer
Source: Replacing The User Story With The Job Story, Medium,

https://medium.com/the-job-to-be-done/replacing-the-user-story-with-the-job-story-af7cdee10c27
How might we create the best
dinner food service for urban
dwellers in special contexts?
EX ERCISE
Let’s get hands-on …
Get together in groups of 3,

and describe a very specific
evening dinner situation.
1 5
MIN
When I want to So I can
Situation Need Goal
Write 2 job stories
Share & Reflect:
Present
Pitfalls,

tips and tricks
Pitfalls
#1
Don’t write stories

too abstract.
Pitfalls
#2
Don’t formulate stories

too general.
Pitfalls
#3
Don’t include solutions

into stories.
Pitfalls
#4
Don’t include more than

one context and goal.
Pitfalls
#5
Don’t fantasise or

make your stories up.
Tips & tricks
#1
Think in struggles

rather than outcomes.
Tips & tricks
#2
Write it like in the 70s –

avoid mentioning tech.
Tips & tricks
#3
Start with the situation,

continue with goal, only then

turn to need. (GDTA)
Tips & tricks
#4
Split stories if find two goals

or more contexts.
Tips & tricks
#5
If you struggle in writing,

do further research!
FUR THER STUDYING
In ‘The Service Gazette’ #1
Thanks for
your interest and
for joining!
All infos about the Jobs-to-be-Done Meetup Berlin here:
http://meetup.com/Berlin-Jobs-To-Be-Done-Meetup/
And see you at a #JTBD meetup
nearby some time soon

Capturing Contexts: A workshop with jobs-to-be-done tools / Service Experience Camp 2015

  • 1.
    Capturing Contexts A workshop withjobs-to-be-done tools Service Experience Camp 2015 Andrej Balaz, Hannes Jentsch & Martin Jordan A service for the very moment
  • 2.
    BAC KG ROUND Product, Innovation, Design H A N N E S J E N T S C H , 
 Design & Innovation Consultant, Freelance @Kaffeertrinken M A R T I N J O R DA N , 
 Experience design, HERE/Nokia @Martin_Jordan A N D R EJ BA L A Z , 
 Senior Service Designer, IXDS @Designamyte
  • 3.
    POINT O FVIEW Customer jobs & hired solution S O LU T I O N 
 • toothpaste and toothbrush J O B S • having a fresh breath • feeling fresh
 • preventing caries
  • 4.
    Ask & listen
 toyour neighbour 2 MIN EACH
  • 5.
    Which interesting foodrelated service did you start using this year? What ‘jobs’ is it doing for you? What did do the job before? WARM-UP Uncovering jobs
  • 6.
  • 7.
    What is the jobof wine? EX AMPLE Let’s talk about
 something pleasant …
  • 8.
    Source: Laurence Veale/ ‘The jobs wine is hired for’ https://medium.com/@laurenceveale/the-jobs-wine-is-hired-for-272a929ea8be EX AMPLE How most wines are
 organised in wine stores
  • 9.
    EX AMPLE Organising theretail space around a specific job: making dinner a little better Source: Laurence Veale / ‘The jobs wine is hired for’ https://medium.com/@laurenceveale/the-jobs-wine-is-hired-for-272a929ea8be
  • 10.
    EX AMPLE Organising theretail space 
 for a second job: expressing appreciation Source: Laurence Veale / ‘The jobs wine is hired for’ https://medium.com/@laurenceveale/the-jobs-wine-is-hired-for-272a929ea8be
  • 11.
    Uncovering customer jobshelps understanding
 their desired outcomes Finding your real competition,
 refining the market you are in
 Rephrasing the messaging around your offering
 to match the customers’ mental model & language EX AMPLE Take-away
  • 12.
    What is Pocket’s contextof use? EX AMPLE Let’s look at a mobile service
  • 13.
    EX AMPLE Pocket: inthe office 5 min, end of lunch break
  • 14.
    EX AMPLE Pocket: inthe office Found article, saved for later
  • 15.
    EX AMPLE Pocket: onthe go 15 mins time
 to bridge
  • 16.
    EX AMPLE Pocket: onthe go Review articles, choose one
  • 17.
    EX AMPLE Pocket: athome On sofa, 45
 min free time
  • 18.
    EX AMPLE Pocket: athome Deep read & shared w/ others
  • 19.
    Main job of‘making me a smarter, better human’ carried through various contexts and situations Limited resources & capabilities in regards of time, space & cognitive capacities Specific sub-jobs that need a hand-over
 from one situation to another EX AMPLE Take-away
  • 20.
    + + ++ + Situation M onday M orning Rain Alarm didn’t ring Usuallygone atthattim e Carin repair The better you can define the situation,
 the better you can design the solution against TOOLS & MINDSET S Context for understanding situational needs
  • 21.
    Goal-directed task analysis toinvestigate needs depending on situation and goals Situation Raining outside Goal Getting to the office Need Getting there in time Need Staying dry Situation Hellish hot outside Goal Getting to the office Need Not getting sweaty
  • 22.
    When Where Who How What season month weekd ay daytime occasionlocation type category attrib.profile/mode social device motion useract.routine traffic facebook c ollec. weather Routinely used route Routinelyvisited place First time visit Unknown area Known area … Historical traffic around location Congestion/incidents on route Congestion/incidents around loc. … Visited by friends Visited by me Popular on facebook Liked by friends Liked by me … In popular collection In m yfriendscollection In m ycollection… FreezingCoolMild Warm Hot Night Day Stormy Snowy Rainy Foggy Cloudy Clear Wetseason Dryseason Winter Autumn Summer Spring January February March April May June July AugustSeptemberOctoberNovember December MondayTuesday Wednesday ThursdayFriday Saturday Sunday Morning Noon Afternoon Evening Night Sunrise Sunset … At a planned appointment Appointment scheduled in x hours Leaving In transit Arriving Early in month Late in month (f.ex salary) Commute Travel … Outdoor Indoor Near POI of cat. XNear POI cluster of cat. XMoving towards X Distance to destinationDistance to POI … On streetIn building In/at venueIn park On mountain On water … Airport Departm ent store Hotel Cafe Restaurant ATM Leisure PTstation Sight Mall Parkingspace Junction Highway … Pricerange Openinghours Availableparking … … Commuter CityDweller Traveler Age30-39 Age18-29 Age<18 Male Female … Withanonymouscrowd Withknownpeople Alone … Roamingactive Via3G etc ViaBluetooth ViaWiFi Desktop Tablet Phone … Ascending/descending Trajectory/bearing/direction DrivingWalkingStill … Using app since 1d/1w/1m Calculated a route to/from Reviewed Shared to/byCollected Searched for … Routine follow up action when x Situation TOOLS & MINDSET S Retool
  • 23.
    Describe a real user’s needin context Validate design solutions Communicate the design task TOOLS & MINDSET S Job Stories
  • 24.
    Formulate each jobinto a statement (or job story) When I want to So I can Situation Need Goal TOOLS & MINDSET S Job Stories
  • 25.
    When I amon my island round trip where I travel with a lot of stuff in a small backpack and only unreliable connection to the Internet I want to easily pick photos I took that day and share them whenever I have the opportunity So I can I can let my friends and family know how I am. TOOLS & MINDSET S Job Stories
  • 26.
    VALUE Benefits for allteam members Product owners and managers know what kind of products they are developing and who they are competing with. Developers know the context of the product and its sprints, can prioritise better and see purpose. Designers know the context and desired outcomes of the user and can design against these accordingly. QA engineers know the essential use and test cases, can prioritise better.
  • 27.
    “Often, because peopleare so focused on the who and how, they totally miss the why. When you start to understand the why, your mind is then open to think of creative and original ways to solve the problem.
 ” QUOTE — A L A N K L E M E N T, Product designer & engineer Source: Replacing The User Story With The Job Story, Medium,
 https://medium.com/the-job-to-be-done/replacing-the-user-story-with-the-job-story-af7cdee10c27
  • 28.
    How might wecreate the best dinner food service for urban dwellers in special contexts? EX ERCISE Let’s get hands-on …
  • 29.
    Get together ingroups of 3,
 and describe a very specific evening dinner situation. 1 5 MIN
  • 30.
    When I wantto So I can Situation Need Goal Write 2 job stories
  • 31.
  • 32.
  • 33.
  • 34.
  • 35.
  • 36.
    Pitfalls #4 Don’t include morethan
 one context and goal.
  • 37.
  • 38.
    Tips & tricks #1 Thinkin struggles
 rather than outcomes.
  • 39.
    Tips & tricks #2 Writeit like in the 70s –
 avoid mentioning tech.
  • 40.
    Tips & tricks #3 Startwith the situation,
 continue with goal, only then
 turn to need. (GDTA)
  • 41.
    Tips & tricks #4 Splitstories if find two goals
 or more contexts.
  • 42.
    Tips & tricks #5 Ifyou struggle in writing,
 do further research!
  • 43.
    FUR THER STUDYING In‘The Service Gazette’ #1
  • 44.
    Thanks for your interestand for joining! All infos about the Jobs-to-be-Done Meetup Berlin here: http://meetup.com/Berlin-Jobs-To-Be-Done-Meetup/ And see you at a #JTBD meetup nearby some time soon