Know and understand analysing the needs of an audience when creating ICT solutions

ICT 0417 – Audience: Analysing Audience Needs

Objective

Know and understand how to analyse the needs of an audience when creating ICT solutions, and how this analysis influences copyright, communication choices, e‑safety, security and presentation style.

1. What is Audience Analysis?

• Definition: A systematic process of identifying who will use a solution, what they need, and the context in which they will use it.
• Purpose (Syllabus 9.1):
  • Ensures relevance, usability and adoption of the solution.
  • Guides language, tone, visual style and technical choices.
  • Informs the selection of the most appropriate communication channel (e‑mail, web, mobile app, printed media).
  • Supports legal and ethical responsibilities – copyright, data protection and e‑safety.
• Link to the Systems Life‑Cycle: Audience analysis is part of the requirements‑gathering stage (Section 7), providing the user requirements that drive design, development and evaluation.

2. Key Steps in Audience Analysis (Syllabus 9 – Audience Appreciation)

1. Identify the target audience(s).
2. Collect demographic and psychographic data.
3. Assess existing knowledge, skills and experience.
4. Analyse users’ goals, tasks and problems.
5. Consider the context of use – environment, devices, time‑constraints, network conditions.
6. Identify special requirements – accessibility, language, cultural norms.
7. Summarise findings in user profiles or personas.
8. Link analysis to design decisions (content, UI, functionality, platform, file format, communication channel, copyright, e‑safety).

3. Typical Audience Categories (Syllabus 9.1)

4. Methods for Collecting Audience Data (Syllabus 9.3)

• Surveys and questionnaires – obtain informed consent, store responses securely.
• Interviews and focus groups – record with permission, anonymise personal data.
• Observation of current work practices – note environmental constraints and device usage.
• Analysis of existing documentation, reports and usage statistics.
• Usability testing with low‑fidelity prototypes – gather early feedback.

Tip: Increase reliability by triangulating data (e.g., compare survey results with observations) and be aware of sampling bias.

5. Creating User Personas (Syllabus 9.4)

A persona is a realistic, fictional representation of a typical user. It keeps design decisions user‑centred and maps directly to AO2/AO3 expectations.

1. Give the persona a name and (optional) photo.
2. List demographic details – age, job, education, location.
3. Describe goals, motivations and pain points.
4. Note preferred devices, typical environment and internet access.
5. Identify any accessibility, language or cultural needs.
6. Summarise how the ICT solution will meet this persona’s needs.
7. Save the persona in an exam‑acceptable format (DOCX or PDF).

Example Persona

6. Applying Audience Analysis to ICT Solutions (Syllabus 9–13)

Use the findings to shape every stage of the solution:

• Content: language level, terminology, amount of detail; adopt a style guide (formal for business users, plain English for the public).
• Interface design: layout, colour scheme, navigation, contrast for accessibility.
• Functionality: required features, level of automation, security controls, offline capability.
• Delivery platform: website, mobile app, desktop application or printed media – chosen based on audience device preferences.
• Accessibility: font size, contrast, alt‑text, captions, keyboard shortcuts.
• File formats & presentation style (Syllabus 13‑15): select formats the audience can open (DOCX for office staff, MP4 for video‑based learning) and apply appropriate styling (corporate house style, school report template).
• Copyright considerations (Syllabus 9.2):
  • Four key principles: ownership, exclusive rights, duration, and fair‑use.
  • Use only original, licensed or fair‑use material.
  • When using third‑party images, text or code, give full attribution (author, source, licence) and keep a record of the licence terms.
• Communication choices (Syllabus 10):
  • Email etiquette – clear subject line, appropriate greeting, concise body, use of CC/BCC, correct attachment format, professional signature.
  • Netiquette – polite tone, avoid ALL CAPS, respect privacy, use correct spelling and grammar.
  • Evaluating online information – check currency, authority, accuracy, bias and relevance (C.A.R.B. criteria).
• e‑Safety & Data‑Protection (Syllabus 8.2):
  • Obtain explicit consent before collecting personal data.
  • Store data securely (password‑protected files, encrypted drives).
  • Limit access to authorised persons and delete data when no longer needed.
  • Reference legal framework – Data Protection Act (UK) / GDPR‑style principles.
  • Password best practice – minimum 12 characters, mix of upper‑/lower‑case, numbers, symbols; use two‑factor authentication where possible.
• Security of data (Syllabus 8.3):
  • Common threats – malware, phishing, ransomware, unauthorised access, data loss.
  • Preventive actions – anti‑malware software, safe browsing, verify URLs before clicking, regular backups, use of firewalls and strong passwords.

7. File Management & Presentation (Syllabus 11‑16)

• File organisation – use logical folder structures, consistent naming conventions, version control.
• Images – choose appropriate resolution (72 dpi for web, 300 dpi for print), optimise file size, add descriptive alt‑text.
• Layout & Styles – apply headings, bullet points, tables, and style sheets to ensure consistency and readability.
• Proofreading – check spelling, grammar, punctuation and factual accuracy before publishing.
• Graphs & Charts – select the most suitable type (bar, line, pie), label axes, include a legend, and ensure colour contrast meets accessibility standards.

8. e‑Safety & Data‑Protection Checklist (Syllabus 8)

9. Flowchart – Audience Analysis Process

10. Quick Revision Summary

• Audience analysis = identify who, what they need, and the context.
• Four copyright principles + proper attribution.
• Communication: email etiquette, netiquette, C.A.R.B. criteria for evaluating online info.
• e‑Safety: consent, secure storage, GDPR‑style data‑protection, strong passwords.
• Security: malware, phishing, ransomware – use anti‑malware, safe browsing, backups.
• Link findings to every design decision (content, UI, platform, file format, accessibility).
• Use personas (saved as DOCX/PDF) to keep the audience at the centre of development.