Jobs To Be Done: An Occasionally Useful UX Gimmick

UX Strategy with Jared Spool, a Center Centre — UIE newsletter focused on bringing UX to a strategic level inside your organization.

It was puzzling. Jay (not the study participant’s real name) was sitting in front of a desktop computer with an open browser. Yet, it was his phone that he grabbed. On his phone, Jay immediately opened his bank’s mobile app. Once he logged in, he glanced at his account balances, then proceeded to move a chunk of money from his checking account into his home equity account.

I was puzzled why he didn’t use the bank’s website instead. “The phone app is so much easier,” Jay responded. “I do this transfer every month and I find I can get it done faster using the phone.”

This fascinated me. Jay had used the bank’s website many times. He showed me how he paid bills using it. But when it came to transferring money, it was easier for him to use the mobile app.

Hiring and Firing

Jay needed to make a money transfer. To resolve that need, he chose the mobile app over the bank’s website.

We can frame Jay’s choice as two actions: For the job of transferring the money, Jay fired his bank’s website and he hired his phone’s mobile app.