Ideate
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Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) re-cap
• The concept of JTBD represents the higher purpose for which customers buy
products, services and solutions (or for which management adopts processes or
systems). That is, answering the question “why are we ultimately doing this job?
That is, what is the higher purpose of doing this job?
• For example: Why buy a lawnmower? Normal response: ‘to cut grass’. But the
higher purpose is ‘keep the grass low and beautiful at all times’. Solution(s):
develop a genetically engineered grass seed which produces grass that never
needs to be cut, or develop synthetic grass.
• A problem statement in this example could be “It is hard work using a lawnmower to
keep the grass low and beautiful at all times. Our solution would be to develop a
genetically engineered grass seed which produces grass that never needs to be cut”.
• The JTBD is not “cut (verb) grass (object) in my garden (context)” but “maintain (verb)
beautiful grass (object) in my garden (context)”
• The JTBD reflects what the user wants to do to overcome the problem. So then what
are the activities that the user is expected to perform and execute the jtbd?
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Job Mapping
• Job mapping is a technique that helps innovation provider break down the user’s
JTBD into eight categories of activities – define, locate, prepare, confirm,
execute, monitor, modify and conclude. This level of detail is required to
understand the steps or activities a user is expected to go through when
performing a task or job.
• A JTBD is mapped by the innovation (or solution) provider into various
expected job steps and then the customer’s outcome expectations are
extracted. In other words, we identify the expected outcomes derived
from each activity. It is these outcomes which underlie value.
• The goal of creating a job map is not to find out how the customer (or manager) is
executing a job – that only generates maps of existing activities and solutions.
Instead the aim is to discover what the customer expects to do at different points
in executing a jtbd. This is discovered through the empathy stage.
• If the job map can identify customers’ expectations for each step of the job, it can
uncover innovation opportunities and provide a stepping stone to ideation.
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Job Mapping
(cont.)
The Job Map defines the cognitive steps the user takes before the job is executed,
locates all enablers (resources) for achieving this job, prepares these enablers so
the job can be executed, confirms that all decisions have been made, executes the
JTBD, monitors the experience, modifies the experience (in real time or in future job
cycles), and concludes by closing out the transaction to move on to the next JTBD.
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Job Mapping (cont.)
STEPS in Job Mapping
1. Determine the JTBD. The JTBD is a pre-requisite and needs to be clearly
articulated before undertaking job mapping.
Research, observe and interact with customers (or managers) to determine
the job they are trying to get done. Especially look for circumstances that
leave them with insufficient solutions relative to available processes and
technologies. Can iidentify ad hoc solutions or inadequate solutions.
Empathy maps and other research methods help.
2. Define the JTBD
This includes establishing the objective, planning the approach and
identifying the resources needed.
3. Locate the resources (Enablers) for Achieving the JTBD
List and locate the resources and information that is needed to get the job
done.
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Job Mapping (cont.)
4. Prepare all Located Enablers for Achieving the JTBD
This step lists the activities associated with preparing the inputs (for
organizing and environment setup) to efficiently execute the JTBD.
5. Confirm that all Preparations are Complete
Ensure all necessary process steps are taken to confirm JTBD readiness
for execution. It is an essential step to ensure that rework is minimized.
6. Execute the JTBD
This step is the most visible and prevalent aspect of Job Mapping. It identifies
the key activities involved in executing the JTBD. It is important that customers
can perform the job easily, in minimal time, with quality output.
7. Monitoring the Experience
This step is carried out to verify the necessity of making adjustments or
modification to the execution step, if necessary.
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Job Mapping (cont.)
8. Modifying the Experience
Based on learning in the preceding steps, the activities in this step include
all that is performed to modify the experience either in real time or in future
executions of the same JTBD. What adjustments should customers make if
the job wasn’t executed as expected? How can the customer minimize the
time and effort required to perform the needed modifications?
9. Conclude the Job
In this step the customer is focused on performing all the cognitive and
physical activities necessary to conclude the job. The solution provider can
innovate in this step by simplifying any activities. The customer needs to be
able to minimize the non-value-added activities while improving the
throughput, quality and time it takes to complete the value- added activities.
—
After the job map is complete, identify the outcome expectations associated
with each of the job steps. These are the solution criteria customers are
likely to use to determine which solution to buy (or adopt).
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• Scoping an innovation project is important because the way
you define the opportunity, or the job to be done (JTBD), can
make the difference between a run-of-the-mill solution and a
truly innovative approach.
• If the project scope seems too broad, job scoping helps you
drill down a level by identifying obstacles that could keep you
from achieving your goal.· If the scope is too narrow, job
scoping moves the focus up a level to explore the reason why
‘(what for) you’re working on the innovation problem in the
first place.
• The following example illustrates Job Mapping and Job
Scoping
Job Scoping
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Exercise Job Mapping and Job Scoping
Consider the problem statement: “The number of clients in our
firm is declining because we do not provide financial planning
services. Our solution to increase the number of clients would be to
employ qualified financial planners”
Required:
i. What is the JTBD?
ii. Prepare a job map
iii. Scope the job. Is there a higher purpose JTBD?
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Ideation
• In the previous example our solution is “to increase the
number of clients would be to employ qualified financial
planners”. How are we going to do this? Is this the best
solution? Other solutions?
• What inspires us to generate, select and develop a range of
ideas from which we can select the best solution (i.e.
ideation)? How do we discover the ‘how’ or ‘working
principles’ to solve problems?
• There are various ideation tools that can inspire us. These
tools offer a structured approach. Today we look at SIT
(Systematic Inventive Thinking) and SCAMPER.
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SIT Method
• SIT is a method that uses a set of techniques (patterns),
supported by principles, to channel the ideation process to
come up with innovative ideas.
• SIT is built on the ‘closed-world’ principle and the ‘function
follows form’ principle.
• SIT uses five techniques called: subtraction, multiplication,
division, task unification and attribute dependency
• These principles and techniques are the foundation of a
template that help us to overcome barriers to creativity and
structure our thinking to stay focused on the job to be done.
• Increased chance of success if you stay true to the method
because it helps to overcome barriers to creativity
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Innovation using SIT – Barriers to creativity
• Functional fixedness: a cognitive bias that limits us seeing
an object only in the way it is traditionally seen or used. The
subtraction technique (discussed later) helps to breakdown
functional fixedness to deliver new value.
• Structural fixedness: a cognitive bias that limits us from
considering other structures than what we are used to.
Prevents us from imagining different configurations of an
item that could deliver new value. The division technique
(discussed later) helps to breakdown structural fixedness.
• Adopting the ‘closed world’ principle can help us to
overcome fixedness when applying one of the SIT
techniques.
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Innovation using SIT – The Closed World Principle
• The closed –world is an imaginary circle around the space
which surrounds an item of interest. The circumference of
the circle defines an area of focus.
• The closed-world principle: when an innovation uses some
aspect or component in the immediate vicinity (tight circle)
of where the product or service is being used when solving
a problem. It involves searching for resources (enablers)
that may exist close to the problem that could be used in
innovative ways to solve that problem.
• Think of a time that you solved a problem by using
something that was close to the problem, eg
▪ using sharp knife from the kitchen to sharpen a pencil
▪ using a paper-clip from your office to open a stuck dvd tray or reset
electrical items
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Innovation using SIT – The Closed World Principle
• Increasing and decreasing the imaginary circle
around the closed world so as to bring into play
innovation opportunities. Achieved by ‘zooming-in’
and ‘zooming out’.
• For example what if we want to hypothetically
innovate by using the heat from our oven in the
kitchen to heat the house? Zooming-in directs focus
to the area near and inside the oven. As we zoom out,
focus extends beyond the kitchen area to parts of the
house, and then maybe outside the house and then
maybe outside the property.
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Innovation using SIT – Applying the method
An innovative idea required to solve a problem and get the job done
needs to be:
▪ New: it has not been done before but there are exceptions.
Consider the ‘adopters’ who improve something that’s existing.
▪ Useful: delivers value, includes improvement in value. If there is
no new value including improvement in existing value, it is not an
innovation.
▪ Surprising: gets people excited, interested, gets a ‘wow’ reaction
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• Identify an item (It could be a product, service, policy,
process etc) which you think is a solution to a problem.
Another way of looking at this is take that idea which
allows you to perform the job to be done to resolve the
problem.
• List all of its components (parts, bits and pieces, internal
and external) and attributes (shape, colour, ease of use,
size, weight, height, etc)
• Apply at least one of the five SIT techniques (see later
slides) to artificially change the item’s components and/or
attribute and applying the function follows form principle
Innovation using SIT – Applying the method
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Innovation Using SIT – Function follows form principle
• Principle based on two filters:
• Should we do it? This is the function filter
▪ Consider: Does this idea solve the problem? Does this fulfill
the job to be done? Is there a particular user or user group
who would benefit? What is the benefit ie value? Does this
satisfy an unmet need?
▪ Can we do it? This is the form filter
▪ Consider: do we have the technical expertise? Is it feasible?
Are there legal or regulatory barriers?
Hence the principle ‘function follows form’
• If the answer is ‘yes’ to both filters then idea is worth adopting
for prototyping. Iteration process more than likely to fine tune
or modify or strengthen idea.
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SIT patterns – subtraction technique
• List all components that make up the item
• Eliminate an essential component(s) from the item. Can be internal
or external component.
• Visualise the resulting product. This is an abstract visualisation.
• Now think about how the eliminated component can be replaced
from the closed world first or import from outside the closed world
• Apply ‘function follows form’principle
• Process can take several rounds involving elimination of additional
components, abstract visualisation of resulting product and
application of ‘function follows form’principle.
• Example: take a road bike, remove wheels including gears, brakes
and cables (several essential components removed) and you end
up with an exercise bike. Eliminated wheels replaced by a stand.
Gears etc replaced by electronic monitoring devices.
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SIT patterns – division technique
List all components that make up the item
Three ways to divide the product or one of the components :
▪ Functionally – rearrange along a functional role. Eg surveillance plane
converted into a drone. Flight controls removed from the machine to a
remote control controlled by person outside machine. Try to rearrange
across (i) space: divided components placed in different locations eg
drone in air whilst controls on land and (ii) time: divided components can
be operated at different times during the day subject to regulations.
▪ Physically – cutting the product or a component along a physical line. Eg
cut faceplate of car radio so that it can be removed when leaving the car.
Prevents radio theft since radio inoperable without faceplate. Eg
removable blades on electric knife.
▪ Preserving – divide product into smaller versions of itself. Bread cut into
slices to make several sandwiches rather than one huge sandwich!
Visualise resulting product and apply function follows form principle.
Repeat process for each division activity
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SIT patterns – multiplication technique
• List the components making up the item
• Identify the attributes of each component
• Pick one component and copy it. Copy one element already
existing in a product or service but changing it in some
counterintuitive way. Eg tomato sauce bottle turned upside
down. Why? = to prevent sauce from clogging at bottom of
bottle and ease flow of sauce. Copied by honey bottles. Eg
multiple camera lenses on new iPhone to provide sharper pics,
improved functionality in lower light, increase perspective
• Use ‘zooming-in’and ‘zooming-out’to explore how the item
interacts with the closed world and outside the closed world.
• Visualise resulting product and apply function follows form
principle. Repeat process for each multiplied component.
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SIT patterns – task unification technique
• The assignment of additional task to an existing resource
• Resource can be component of a product or service or something in the immediate
vicinity of the product or service.
• List product’s internal and external components in the closed world
• Select a component and assign it an additional task
▪ Can have internal component take the job of another internal component eg TV
when not in use blank tv screen changes colour to match colour of internal wall
▪ Can have internal component take the job of an outside component eg cardless
cash. Electronic token sent from smartphone to bank acts as a debit card to
withdraw cash fromATM. Do not need to insert card (outside component) inATM to
get cash.
▪ Can have external component take the job of an internal component eg turn blank
wall into bill board at train station which shows pictures of supermarket products.
Consumers scan barcode with smart phone to shop. Groceries home delivered.
Takes job of product shelves in supermarket
• Creates a virtual product. Using function follows form look for benefits (value) and
modify/adapt concept to prototype it
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SIT patterns – attribute dependency technique
• Involves the creation or removal of dependencies between
existing product properties. This could relate to the attributes of
the product or the product itself or attributes of things in the
immediate vicinity of the closed world. Eg darkness of lens
changes in response to brightness. Eg fridge door shape
changes to make space for a ice dispenser that no longer takes
space in freezer.
• List the products internal and external attributes (not components)
• Create a two dimensional matrix with these attributes to pair these
attributes (see next slide).
• For each pairing ask does one attribute change in response to the
other? If not imagine creating one! If it does, imagine removing
one!
• Use function follows form to identify value and users (target
market)
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SCAMPER
Substitute
Combine
Adapt
Modify
Put To Another Use
Eliminate
Reverse (or Rearrange)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OMJINQIZzA
Learn How to Use the Best Ideation Methods:
SCAMPER | Interaction Design Foundation (IxDF)
(interaction-design.org)
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SIT and SCAMPER – Activity
Use SIT and SCAMPER to illustrate how innovations have
improved the fridge?
Does the fridge still solve the same problem?
Please see next slide
SCAMPER – Activity
A: 1950s Fridge
B: Samsung 637L Family
HUB French Door Fridge