Product Design Methodologies¶

Product design methodologies help teams understand user needs, define problems, and create solutions that deliver real value. This documentation covers the essential frameworks used by product teams worldwide.

Overview¶

Methodology	Purpose	When to Use
Jobs to Be Done	Understand user motivation	Product innovation, positioning
User Stories	Capture requirements	Agile development, backlog management
User Journeys	Map user experience	CX improvement, alignment
Personas	Build user empathy	Design guidance, communication
Design Thinking	Solve complex problems	Innovation, new products
Lean UX	Iterate rapidly	Startups, validation

Start Here¶

New to product design? → Start with Jobs to Be Done - the foundation of user-centered design

Need to apply a methodology? → Jump to How-to: Conduct a JTBD Interview

Want to understand the theory? → Read User Stories or Personas

Looking for templates or specs? → Check Templates

The Big Picture¶

flowchart TB
    classDef research fill:#1E3A5F,stroke:#0D47A1,color:#E3F2FD
    classDef design fill:#5D4037,stroke:#3E2723,color:#FFF8E1
    classDef validate fill:#B71C1C,stroke:#7F0000,color:#FFEBEE
    classDef complete fill:#1B5E20,stroke:#0D3D13,color:#E8F5E9

    subgraph Discovery["PRODUCT DISCOVERY"]
        direction LR
        JTBD[JTBD Research]:::research
        Personas[Personas & Journey Maps]:::research
        DT[Design Thinking]:::design
    end

    subgraph Delivery["PRODUCT DELIVERY"]
        direction LR
        Lean[Lean UX & MVPs]:::validate
        Stories[User Stories]:::complete
        Kano[Kano Model]:::complete
    end

    JTBD --> Personas --> DT
    Lean --> Stories --> Kano
    DT --> Lean

Quick Reference¶

Jobs to Be Done (JTBD)¶

"Customers don't buy products—they hire them to make progress."

Job Statement Format:

When [situation], I want to [motivation], so I can [outcome].

Learn more →

User Stories¶

"Focus on value delivered, not features built."

Story Format:

As a [user type], I want [goal], so that [benefit].

Learn more →

Design Thinking¶

"Empathize → Define → Ideate → Prototype → Test"

Learn more →