What is Meant by "Audience Demographics"?
Demographics are the characteristics of a group of people.
By understanding which type of person who will be receiving your communication, digital communicators can create content which is:
- Relevant
- Accessible
- Engaging
- Easy to understand
Categories of Audience Demographics
There are lots of different demographics. This qualification focuses on just four:
- Accessibility
- Age
- Gender
- Location
Accessibility Considerations
Digital communication must be usable by everyone, including people with disabilities or additional needs, including users with visual, motor skill, or hearing impairments. Ensuring a system is accessible to all is good practice and a legal requirement.
Click for more information on each.
Age
Different age groups will use technology differently.
Some of these differences will also be part of accessibility factors (e.g. a child will have poorer fine motor skills than a teenager).
Other differences will be down to preferences of each age group (e.g. an interface for a child may use brighter colours and simpler language than for an adult).
Older users may also be less confident using technology than younger users, and will need extra instructions.
Gender
The audience’s gender can sometimes influence the design of a product.
It is important not to make gendered assumptions, e.g. "girls like pink, boys like blue".
In most situations, design should focus on interests and outcomes, not stereotypes.
Gender-neutral language and neutral colours are usually the best options.
Geographic location
Knowing where in the world users are located will affect:
- The language being used on the interface, or language selection options
- Information being displayed (e.g. a weather map or directions to the nearest store)
- Cultural expectations
- Compliance with local laws (such as how user data is stored and managed)