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

What is an Audience?

Think of an audience like a group of friends who will use your ICT solution. They have different ages, interests, and skills, just like your friends might prefer different games or music. Knowing who they are helps you design something that works for everyone.

Types of Audiences

• Primary users – the people who will actually use the system daily.
• Secondary users – those who interact indirectly (e.g., teachers, parents).
• Stakeholders – people who care about the outcome (e.g., school administrators).

Analysing Audience Needs

Use the 4 C’s to guide your analysis:

1. Context – Where will the solution be used? (e.g., classroom, home)
2. Capabilities – What can users do? (e.g., typing speed, tech knowledge)
3. Constraints – What limits them? (e.g., time, budget, device)
4. Content – What information do they need?

Example: If your audience is 15‑year‑old students, they might have good internet skills but limited time for long tutorials.

Analogy: Building a Pizza for Your Friends

Imagine you’re ordering pizza for a group. You ask:

• Do they like pepperoni or vegetarian? (Preferences)
• How many slices do they need? (Quantity)
• Do they have any allergies? (Constraints)
• What’s the budget? (Cost)

Just like that, you gather information about your audience before creating your ICT solution.

Case Study: School Library App

Audience: 15‑year‑old students and teachers.

Result: A responsive web app with a simple search bar, a “quick‑start” guide, and teacher dashboards.

Exam Tips

• Remember the 4 C’s – they’re a quick checklist.
• Use analogies in your answers to show understanding.
• Include a table or diagram to summarise audience attributes.
• Show how you would prioritise needs (e.g., using a simple scoring formula: $Score = Importance \times Feasibility$).
• Keep your language clear and avoid jargon.