How to Use JTBD & Top Tasks to Design User-Centric Website IA
A step-by-step guide to uncovering user goals and structuring navigation for maximum clarity and task completion.
Introduction: Lost in the Labyrinth?
We've all been there: clicking aimlessly through a website, trying to find a simple piece of information or complete a basic task, only to end up frustrated and ready to give up. Why does this happen so often? Too frequently, website Information Architecture (IA) – the way content is structured and navigated – reflects the company's internal departments or product lists, not the actual goals users are trying to achieve. It fails to prioritize the critical user goals, the 'Top Tasks' people visit the site to accomplish.
There's a better way. By applying the Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD) framework and focusing intently on user Top Tasks, you can create an IA that guides users intuitively towards achieving their goals, transforming frustration into satisfaction. This isn't just about rearranging menus; it's about fundamentally rethinking your website structure from the user's perspective – understanding the "job" they are hiring your website IA to do.
Why Typical Information Architecture Fails Users
Traditional IA often falls short because it's designed from the inside out. Common pitfalls include:
Organization-centric views: Structuring navigation around company departments or internal jargon unfamiliar to users.
Feature-focused, not goal-focused: Listing product features instead of organizing around the problems users are trying to solve or the goals they want to achieve.
Ignoring context and struggles: Failing to understand the specific situations users are in and the difficulties they face while navigating.
Burying Top Tasks: Making the most critical and frequent user goals difficult to find amidst less important content.
The result? Users can't easily complete their goals, bounce rates increase, and potential customers are lost.
JTBD Fundamentals for Website Navigation: Focusing on Goals
Jobs-to-be-Done shifts the focus from what your product/service is to what the user is trying to accomplish. When applied to IA, it means understanding:
The Job: The user's core goal or the specific Top Task they are trying to get done given particular situational factors (e.g., Locating specific support documentation, Comparing different service tiers, Assessing product suitability, Completing a purchase).
Struggles: The obstacles and pain points users encounter while trying to achieve their goal using the current IA (e.g., confusing labels, too many clicks, inability to find relevant information).
Desired Outcomes: The specific, measurable results users value when successfully achieving their goal (e.g., Minimize the time spent searching, Increase the clarity of options, Reduce the effort needed to complete a task).
Understanding the user's situation is key. Why are they trying to achieve this goal now? What context shapes their needs and expectations for the website's IA?
Uncovering Your Users' Top Tasks & Desired Outcomes
Identifying the critical goals (Top Tasks) your users have is paramount. Don't guess; investigate:
Task Analysis: Observe users attempting to complete key goals on your site. Where do they struggle?
User Interviews: Talk to users about their goals when visiting your site. Ask why they need to accomplish specific tasks and what makes the process easy or difficult. Don't ask leading questions about features; focus on their objectives and struggles.
Analytics Review: Analyze user flow data, site search queries, and page usage statistics. What paths are most common? What search terms indicate unmet goals?
Once you understand the Top Tasks, define the Desired Outcomes associated with them. Frame these as clear, actionable metrics for success. For example:
Minimize the number of clicks required to reach the pricing page.
Increase the ease of comparing product features side-by-side.
Reduce the uncertainty felt when choosing a support option.
Elevating Abstraction: Sometimes, understanding the core goal reveals opportunities to radically simplify the IA. Instead of just providing links to various tools or information pages (how things might be done today), a deep understanding of the user's ultimate objective might allow you to design a single, streamlined process or page that gets the core job done with fewer visible steps or features. This elevates the solution to focus on the higher-level goal, abstracting away underlying complexities.
Designing an Outcome-Driven IA: Streamlining Top Tasks
Armed with insights into user goals and desired outcomes, you can redesign your IA:
Prioritize Top Tasks: Make the starting points for the most critical user goals prominent and easy to find (e.g., in the main navigation, on the homepage).
Use Outcome-Oriented Labels: Label navigation items and links based on the goal the user wants to achieve (e.g., "Compare Plans," "Request a Demo," "Find Support") rather than generic terms ("Products," "Resources").
Create Logical Flows: Structure navigation paths to align with the steps users naturally take to complete their Top Tasks, minimizing clicks and cognitive load.
Group by Goal, Not Category: Organize content and features based on the user goal they help accomplish, even if it means breaking traditional category silos.
Clear Signposting: Use breadcrumbs, clear headings, and consistent layouts to help users understand where they are and how to get to their goal.
Putting It Together: A Mini Case Study
Imagine an e-commerce site selling specialized hardware. Initially, its IA was structured by product category (Widgets, Gadgets, Gizmos). User research using JTBD revealed two Top Tasks: 1) Quickly finding a specific compatible part for existing equipment, and 2) Confidently comparing technical specifications for new purchases.
The redesigned IA prioritized these goals:
The main navigation prominently featured "Find Compatible Parts" and "Compare Products."
The "Find Compatible Parts" section guided users through selecting their existing equipment first, then displaying only relevant parts – streamlining the locating job.
The "Compare Products" section used a standardized format for technical specifications, making the comparing job easier and addressing the outcome of "reducing uncertainty".
This shift from product categories to user goals drastically improved the user experience and task completion rates.
Conclusion: Building for User Goal Achievement
Shifting your website's Information Architecture from an internal reflection to a user goal-driven structure isn't just a cosmetic change; it's a strategic imperative. By applying Jobs-to-be-Done principles and focusing relentlessly on users' Top Tasks and desired outcomes, you create an online experience that works for your users, not against them.
This leads to:
Improved user satisfaction and reduced frustration.
Higher completion rates for key goals (purchases, sign-ups, information retrieval).
Increased user confidence and trust in your brand.
Stop organizing content and start facilitating the successful achievement of user goals.
Join the Conversation / Next Steps
What are the absolute 'Top Tasks' users need to accomplish on your website? How well does your current IA support those goals? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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I’ve been trained by the best in Outcome-Driven Innovation. Part of that training involved how to understand what the future should look like. As a result, I’ve taken what I’ve learned and begun innovating so I can get you to the outcomes you’re seeking faster, better, and even more predictably. Anyone preaching innovation should be doing the same; regardless of how disruptive it’ll be.
How am I doing this?
I’ve developed a complete toolset that accelerates qualitative research to mere hours instead of the weeks or months it used to take. It’s been fine-tuned over the past 2+ years and it’s second-to-none (including to humans). That means we can have far more certainty that we’ve properly framed your research before you invest in a basket of road apples. They don’t taste good, even with whipped cream on top.
I’m also working on a completely new concept for prioritizing market dynamics that predict customer needs (and success) without requiring time-consuming and costly surveys with low quality participants. This is far more powerful and cost effective than the point-in-time surveys that I know you don’t want to do!
I believe that an innovation consultant should eat their own dog food. Therefore, we must always strive to:
Get more of the job done for our clients
Get the job done better for our clients
Get the job done faster for our clients
Get the job done with with fewer features for our clients
Get the job done in a completely different and novel way for our clients
Get the job done in a less costly manner for our clients
You could be an early tester of the latest developments, but at a minimum take advantage of an approach that is light years ahead of incumbent firms that are still pitching a 30 year old growth strategy process.
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Mike Boysen - www.pjtbd.com
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How many of you have applied JTBD thinking to your websites or other engagement platforms?