LL: Understanding Demographics

.

What is Demographics?

Demographics is the study of a population based on factors such as:

  • Age
  • Gender
  • Race
  • Location
  • Home-ownership
  • Employment
  • Level of education
  • Hobbies & Lifestyle
  • So much more….

Demographic information makes certain generalisations about groups to identify customers.

Governments, corporations, and non-government organisations use demographics to learn more about a population’s characteristics for many purposes, including general development and economic market research.

For corporate marketing goals, demographic data is collected to build a profile for the organization’s customer base.

Most large companies conduct demographic research to determine how to market their product or service and best market to the target audience.

It is valuable to know the current customer and where the potential customer may come from in the future.

Demographic trends are also important, since the size of different demographic groups changes over time as a result of economic, cultural, and political circumstances.

.

What role does Demographics play in Graphic Design?

Information found here:  https://www.thebalancecareers.com/what-are-demographics-and-how-are-they-used-38513

At the start of any brief there will be discussions about the product or service being advertised by the client, their budget, the deadlines, the message and tone in which the message should be received, research findings, and of course, the target audience. This is where demography comes in.

A target audience in a creative brief is essential for any campaign.  The client must know who the product or service is going to be marketed to.  There are usually three ways this is approached:

  • A specific person is created. This is deemed the best approach.  Using data from the research, information from the client, and an analysis of the product or service, a specific target audience character is developed. For instance, when selling a certain type of beer, a target audience may be created focusing on a man called Jack, who is 36 years old, has a beard, works as a builder, has a wife and two kids, drives a van, loves going to the pub, and plays pool in his spare time.

This is someone a graphic designer can picture easily and create a design to appeal to this man. The hope is by appealing to this man, you appeal to a certain segment of the population.

  • Using information about a general target audience. This is considered an acceptable method. It is not as good as creating a specific target audience because it is hard to have a conversation about the product or service with a broad spectrum of the population. For instance, men aged 28 to 45, with a full-time job, a car or van, into sports and music. It opens-up the conversation to way too many people, and as such, a design can suffer from being too generic.
  • The worst possible way is to consider everyone a target.  This is not something you ever want to see in a design brief but that doesn’t stop it from making an appearance. Very few clients with a good knowledge of demography would dare write “everyone” under the target audience heading, but they will find ways to include almost everyone. It can go like this:
    Primary Target Audience: Men and women who do grocery shopping, between the ages of 18 and 49. Low to middle income.
    Secondary Target Audience: Anyone el    se who shops in grocery stores, between the ages of 8 to 80. Any income level.

That helps no one. Ideally, you want to be able to sit and think of the exact person you’re advertising to, right down to how they dress, what they smell like, and whether they take sugar in their tea. Generalization helps no one.

Using demographics in the preceding ways can highly impact the success, or failure, of a design. If the research is incorrect, or the assumptions a little off, the demographic information can cause a design to fail its function.

.

Using Demographics to influence your designs in 3 steps. Inspiration found here:  https://getflywheel.com/layout/design-target-audience/

..

1. Identify a target audience

Great design begins with an understanding of who it’s for.  Understanding your customers is a crucial factor for being able to choose the right design elements, such as typography, colour schemes, layout, tone and feel.

In addition to knowing your audience’s demographics – Age, gender, location, etc. It is important to discover what makes them tick. Who are they? What drives them? What are their beliefs and values? Which other companies are they buying from? What products do they use?

The more you know about them, the better you can create a design that meets their needs and requirements.

.

2. Check out the competition

It’s common for businesses to be looking over their shoulders or peeking into the yard next door to see what’s happening. By evaluating competition, we can gain a much clearer picture of where an organization stands.

Look carefully at competitors’ designs to see what they have in common. You’re not looking to copy them, but rather to see what works and what doesn’t. Look at the key elements used in their designs. Look for things they do well, but also seek out any weaknesses and opportunities to gain a strategic advantage.

.

3. Put aside personal preferences

In design it is essential that the Graphic designer, and their client, put aside your personal preferences in favour of what works best for the target audience.

Try out the latest cutting-edge trend or your client may have seen and want to include. Remember, what appeals to you may be a total turn-off for the people who’ll be viewing your design. As a designer, it’s your responsibility to ensure your client stays focused on the end user and that you produce a site that enhances their experience and is a perfect fit for the target audience.