IGCSE ICT: Audience — Revision Notes

Topic 9 of Cambridge IGCSE ICT 0417 has two parts: audience appreciation, which means designing ICT solutions that suit the needs of the people who will use them, and copyright, which covers why software is protected by law and how producers stop it being copied illegally. In the exam you justify design choices by linking each one to the audience, and you explain piracy and the methods used to prevent it.

Condensed for revision. For the full explanation, use the audience study guide, then try the audience practice questions.

Syllabus coverage

Syllabus ref	You should be able to / know
9.1 Audience appreciation	Show a clear sense of audience and purpose; plan ICT solutions that are responsive to and respectful of the needs of an audience; analyse the needs of an audience when creating ICT solutions
9.2 Copyright	The need for copyright legislation; the principles of copyright relating to computer software (for example software piracy); the methods software producers use to prevent copyright legislation being broken

Key definitions

Term	Meaning
Audience	The people a document, presentation or website is made for
Purpose	What the solution is meant to do: inform, persuade, instruct, entertain
Copyright	The legal right of a creator to control the copying, distribution and sale of their original work
Software piracy	Copying, distributing or using software without the copyright owner’s permission or a valid licence
Licence	Permission, usually bought, to use software under stated conditions (for example on a set number of computers)

9.1 How do you analyse the needs of an audience?

Ask these questions before you design anything:

• Who are they? Age, expertise, interests, culture and language.
• What do they need to do with it? Read for information, follow instructions, make a decision, be persuaded.
• Where and how will they use it? Printed, on a phone, on a large screen in a hall.
• What special needs might they have? Visual impairment, reading difficulties, limited ICT experience.

Matching design features to the audience

Audience	Suitable features	Reason
Young children	Large, simple fonts; bright colours; many images; few words	Easy to read and holds attention
Elderly users	Large text; high contrast; simple layout; clear navigation	Easier for people with weaker eyesight or less ICT experience
Business managers	Formal language; summary tables and charts; consistent corporate style	They need key facts quickly and expect a professional look
Experts	Technical terms; detailed data	They already know the subject vocabulary
Multilingual users	Plain language; symbols and images; translation options	Readers whose first language is different can still understand

Being respectful of the audience means avoiding language, images or humour that could offend, and not talking down to them. Being responsive means changing the solution after finding out what they need, for example by testing a draft with a sample of the audience.

Worked example: justifying a choice

A museum is making a touch-screen guide for primary school visitors. Feature + reason linked to the audience:

1. Large buttons with pictures, because young children may not read well and need targets that are easy to touch.
2. Short sentences in simple language, because the audience has a limited vocabulary and short attention span.
3. Sound narration, because it helps children who cannot yet read every word.

A feature without the “because” linked to the audience is unlikely to gain the mark.

9.2 Why is copyright legislation needed?

• Creating software costs a great deal of time and money; copyright lets the producer earn income from it.
• Without protection, people could copy and sell the work, so there would be less reason to create new software.
• It protects the creator’s ownership and reputation (no one else can claim the work or alter it and pass it off).

Principles of copyright for software

Without the copyright owner’s permission or a licence, it is illegal to:

• Make copies of software and give them away or sell them.
• Install one licensed copy on more computers than the licence allows.
• Use software, or parts of its code, in a new product.
• Rent out software, or share it over a network or the internet.
• Change the software and present it as your own.

What methods do software producers use to prevent piracy?

Method	How it works
Product key / activation code	A unique code must be entered, and often checked online, before the software runs
Licence agreement	The user must accept terms limiting how and where the software is used
Original media required	The software only runs if the original CD/DVD or USB is present
Dongle	A hardware device that must be plugged in for the software to run
Digital rights management (DRM)	Software controls that restrict copying or limit the devices the software can be used on
Encryption of the program code	The code cannot be read or copied without a key
Holograms on packaging	Show buyers the product is genuine

Common mistakes and exam traps

• Listing design features without explaining why they suit the named audience.
• Writing “make it colourful” for every audience. Business managers and elderly users need different choices from children.
• Thinking that crediting the author makes copying legal. Permission or a licence is still needed.
• Thinking material on the internet is free to use because anyone can see it.
• Naming a “password” as a copy-protection method. The syllabus methods are the producer’s controls such as product keys, licences, dongles and DRM.

Frequently asked questions

What does “audience appreciation” mean in IGCSE ICT? It means planning and creating ICT solutions that suit the needs of the people who will use them. You analyse the audience first, then choose layout, language, fonts and images to match.

What is software piracy? Software piracy is copying, distributing or using software without the permission of the copyright owner. It breaks copyright law and causes the producer to lose income.

How do product keys stop piracy? The software will only install or run once a unique key is entered, and the key is often checked online. A copied key can be detected because it has already been activated.

Do I need to know the copyright law of a particular country? No. The 0417 syllabus asks for the need for copyright legislation and its principles in general, as they apply to software.

Self-test

1. Give two features of a website suitable for elderly users, with a reason for each.
2. State two reasons why copyright legislation is needed.
3. Give two actions that would break software copyright.
4. Describe how a dongle prevents illegal copying.

Answers: 1 large text (weaker eyesight), simple navigation (less ICT experience), high contrast (easier to read); 2 producers earn income from their work / encourages new software / protects ownership; 3 giving copies to friends, installing on more computers than licensed, selling copies; 4 the software will only run when the hardware dongle is plugged in, so a copied program cannot be used without it.

Official syllabus

Cambridge International, Cambridge IGCSE Information and Communication Technology (0417) syllabus for 2026, 2027 and 2028, Version 3, Topic 9 “Audience” (9.1 Audience appreciation, 9.2 Copyright).