What is a Target Audience? How are they relevant?

Target audiences are a group of consumers whom a product is aimed towards. Once a professional has a goal in mind of who they would like to reach, they can begin to gather information on these people and separate it into a list of potential consumers.

• Separate by demographics(size,structure,distribution of population)
• Separate by location
• Separate by annual income

Understanding common misconceptions

Too often than not designers and entrepreneurs make the mistake of thinking that their target audience is ‘everyone’ when that is certainly not the case. A consumer who can’t afford or who doesn’t live within shipping distance cannot be considered as part of a target audience. Another common misconception is that “target market” and “target audience” are the same thing. A target market is people who may or may not be interested in a product, while a target audience is who they’re trying to directly influence. This does not mean that they should be separated, their audience is a part of their target market.

How do Design Strategies help reach and keep audiences for websites?

Web design is like a game of chess, professionals need to use all of their pawns efficiently in order to win with the least losses. There is a certain finesse that comes with a good web design; typography, layout, your art, etc. All these things need to come together in a way that is user friendly and easy on the eyes. 

Good web design surrounds a platform that conveys the right type of feelings inline with an ultimate goal for the website (ethos,pathos,logos!). Professionals need to learn more about their target audience, and they do that by asking questions.A way of collecting this information would probably be through a survey that asks which type of design do they feel drawn to the most. 

After they determine all of these things, then they can start to focus on their design. But not before going over the fundamentals that will make their design great: contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity (C.R.A.P). 

• Contrast: Elements that stand out: colors or letters
• Repetition: repeated elements that keep consistency
• Alignment: Making visual connections
• Proximity: Making visual unity through closeness

A website will be found on purpose as well as by accident, so the main goal is to make sure the information is consistent with the overall design. And that’s pretty much how professionals reach and keep your target audience for websites and other business applications.