Most digital innovations fail because teams lose sight of what customers really want to achieve. Outcome-Driven Innovation is a powerful way of thinking that puts your customers’ needs at the centre of every conversation. This simple method will give you the clarity you need to focus on the right opportunities and make better design decisions.

1. How to make products people want
© The App Business
Jean-Francois Hector – User Experience Strategist

2. © The App Business
It’s very hard to make people want to use things.
It’s easier to make things people want to use
What outcomes are customers trying to achieve?
Can we make it easier?
How do we get people to use our product more?

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What outcomes are customers trying to achieve?
Can we make it easier?
Most product teams lose sight of this question.

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We focus on feature ideas and
lose sight of desired outcomes.

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We focus on feature ideas and
lose sight of desired outcomes.

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We focus on feature ideas and
lose sight of desired outcomes.

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Outcome Driven Innovation
(aka Jobs-to-be-Done)

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Outcome Driven Innovation
is a powerful way of thinking that puts
customers’ and the business’ desired outcomes
and at the centre of every conversation.

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2 key ideas
4 simple tips

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Idea 1

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Product
or feature
People don’t want products or features.
People want outcomes, and hire products
to help them achieve these outcomes.

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Desired
outcome
Product or service
People don’t want products or features.
People want outcomes, and hire products
to help them achieve these outcomes.

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A nice lawn
A lawn-mower
People don’t want products or features.
People want outcomes, and hire products
to help them achieve these outcomes.

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A comfortable home
and saving money
A connected
thermostat
People don’t want products or features.
People want outcomes, and hire products
to help them achieve these outcomes.

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Wake up, warm up
and feel pleasure
A hot
caffeinated drink
People don’t want products or features.
People want outcomes, and hire products
to help them achieve these outcomes.
On my way to work

16. © 2015 The App Business
People don’t want products or features.
People want outcomes, and hire products
to help them achieve these outcomes.
A weather app
Enjoy my day
and stay dry
I’m going to be
across multiple
locations today

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Idea 2

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Focusing on product features makes innovation hard.
Focusing on the outcomes customers want to achieve
makes the path to successful innovation clearer.
Apple Watch Support
Today screen
AnimationsFavorite locations
Daily snapshot
Local forecast summary
App customisation
GPS tracking
Interactive onboarding
Push notifications
Hourly forecasts
Accessibility features
Search for locations

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Desired outcomeContext
Focusing on product features makes innovation hard.
Focusing on the outcomes customers want to achieve
makes the path to successful innovation clearer.
Design solution?

20. © 2015 The App Business
Focusing on product features makes innovation hard.
Focusing on the outcomes customers want to achieve
makes the path to successful innovation clearer.
Enjoy my day
and stay dry
I’m going to be
across multiple
locations today
Design solution?
I’m going to be
across multiple
locations today

21. © 2015 The App Business
Focusing on product features makes innovation hard.
Focusing on the outcomes customers want to achieve
makes the path to successful innovation clearer.
Enjoy my day
and stay dry
I’m going to be
across multiple
locations today

22. © 2015 The App Business
Focusing on product features makes innovation hard.
Focusing on the outcomes customers want to achieve
makes the path to successful innovation clearer.
Enjoy my day
and stay dry
I’m going to be
across multiple
locations today

23. © 2015 The App Business
Focusing on product features makes innovation hard.
Focusing on the outcomes customers want to achieve
makes the path to successful innovation clearer.
Enjoy my day
and stay dry
I’m going to be
across multiple
locations today

24. © 2015 The App Business

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Idea #1. People don’t want products or features.
People want outcomes, and hire products
to help them achieve these outcomes
Idea #2. Focusing on product features makes innovation hard.
Focusing on what customers want to achieve
makes the path to successful innovation clearer

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Tip 1
Understanding
needs
Identifying
opportunities
Designing
solutions
Testing
solutions

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Tip #1. Don’t capture requirements as feature ideas.
Capture requirements as desired outcomes
“What features should the product have?”

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Desired
outcome
Product or service
Context
Tip #1. Don’t capture requirements as feature ideas.
Capture requirements as desired outcomes
“What features should the product have?”

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Desired
outcome
Product or service
“What outcomes are customers trying to achieve?”
“What outcomes are we (the business) trying to achieve?”
Context
Tip #1. Don’t capture requirements as feature ideas.
Capture requirements as desired outcomes
“What features should the product have?”

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“What social features should the product have?”
Tip #1. Don’t capture requirements as feature ideas.
Capture requirements as desired outcomes
Achievements
Badges
Free credit
Ambassadors
Tweet from the app
Leaderboard
Competitions
Points
Local competitions
Facebook integration

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“What social features should the product have?”
Tip #1. Don’t capture requirements as feature ideas.
Capture requirements as desired outcomes
“What outcome are we trying to achieve by adding social features?”
Achievements
Badges
Free credit
Ambassadors
Tweet from the app
Leaderboard
Competitions
Points
Local competitions
Facebook integration

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Users behave in a way
that is considerate
of other users
Tip #1. Don’t capture requirements as feature ideas.
Capture requirements as desired outcomes
“What social features should the product have?”
“What outcome are we trying to achieve by adding social features?”

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Users behave in a way
that is considerate
of other users
Tip #1. Don’t capture requirements as feature ideas.
Capture requirements as desired outcomes
“What social features should the product have?”
“How might we make users behave in a
way that is considerate of other users?”

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Tip 2
Understanding
needs
Identifying
opportunities
Designing
solutions
Testing
solutions

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Tip #2. Don’t focus on how to be different.
Make it easier for customers to achieve the
outcomes they want, in the context they’re in.“How do we differentiate ourselves in the category?”
?

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Context Desired outcomeProblems and pain points
Tip #2. Don’t focus on how to be different.
Make it easier for customers to achieve the
outcomes they want, in the context they’re in.

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Context Problems and pain points
Tip #2. Don’t focus on how to be different.
Make it easier for customers to achieve the
outcomes they want, in the context they’re in.
1. Desired outcome
What do customers
want to achieve?

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Problems and pain points
Tip #2. Don’t focus on how to be different.
Make it easier for customers to achieve the
outcomes they want, in the context they’re in.
1. Desired outcome
What do customers
want to achieve?
2. Context
What situations
are they in?

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2. Context
What situations
are they in?
1. Desired outcome
What do customers
want to achieve?
Tip #2. Don’t focus on how to be different.
Make it easier for customers to achieve the
outcomes they want, in the context they’re in.
3. Problems and pain points
What pain points and
obstacles get in the way?

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1. Desired outcome
What do customers
want to achieve?
Tip #2. Don’t focus on how to be different.
Make it easier for customers to achieve the
outcomes they want, in the context they’re in.
2.
What situations
are they in?
3.
What pain points and
obstacles get in the way?

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Problems and pain points
Tip #2. Don’t focus on how to be different.
Make it easier for customers to achieve the
outcomes they want, in the context they’re in.
1. Desired outcome
What do customers
want to achieve?
2. Context
What situations
are they in?

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2. Context
What situations
are they in?
1. Desired outcome
What do customers
want to achieve?
Tip #2. Don’t focus on how to be different.
Make it easier for customers to achieve the
outcomes they want, in the context they’re in.
3. Problems and pain points
What pain points and
obstacles get in the way?

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Value
Feasibility

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Tip 3
Understanding
needs
Identifying
opportunities
Designing
solutions
Testing
solutions

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Tip #3. Don’t design from feature ideas.
“What should the [XYZ] feature look like?”

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Tip #3. Don’t design from feature ideas.
Design towards desired outcomes
“What should the [XYZ] feature look like?”
“How might we make it easier to
achieve this outcome in this situation?”
Context Desired outcome Problems and pain points

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“What should the personalised dashboard do?”
Tip #3. Don’t design from feature ideas.
Design towards desired outcomes
My

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Tip #3. Don’t design from feature ideas.
Design towards desired outcomes
Context Desired outcome Problems and pain points

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Tip #3. Don’t design from feature ideas.
Design towards desired outcomes
Problems and pain points On way to
the station
Get my train
without stress

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Tip #3. Don’t design from feature ideas.
Design towards desired outcomes
On way to
the station
Get my train
without stress
“How might we make it easy for people
to get their train without stress
when on their way to the station?”

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Tip 4
Understanding
needs
Identifying
opportunities
Designing
solutions
Testing
solutions

59. Tip #4. Don’t review screens out of context.
Review how your design solution takes customers
from a starting situation to a desired outcome.
© The App Business
“This is our recommended design for the [XYZ] feature.”

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Step1
Step2
Step3
Step4
Starting
situation
Desired
outcome
Design solution
Tip #4. Don’t review screens out of context.
Test how quickly and easily your design solution takes
customers from starting situation to desired outcome.

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Step1
Step2
Step3
Step4
I’m in a rush Fuel up
Design solution
Tip #4. Don’t review screens out of context.
Test how quickly and easily your design solution takes
customers from starting situation to desired outcome.

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Tip #4. Don’t review screens out of context.
Test how quickly and easily your design solution takes
customers from starting situation to desired outcome.

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Let’s recap

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Tip #1. Don’t capture requirements as feature ideas.
Capture requirements as desired outcomes
Tip #2. Don’t focus on how to be different.
Make it easier for customers to achieve the
outcomes they want, in the context they’re in.
Tip #3. Don’t design from feature ideas.
Design towards desired outcomes
Tip #4. Don’t review screens out of context.
Test how quickly and easily your design solution
takes customers from starting situation to desired outcome.

67. Thank You
© The App Business