Year 11 · ICT · Summer 2
After the exams · Lesson 2 of 5
A project of their choice: plan
Project7.1 Analysis9.1 Audience appreciation
Year 11 · ICT · After the exams · Lesson 2 of 5
You will learn to
- Write a short brief for a project: a website, a data story or a video.
- Identify the audience and describe how it shapes the design.
- Create a success list where every line can be checked as yes or no.
- Choose the software you need and justify the choice.
Year 11 · ICT · After the exams · Lesson 2 of 5
Success criteria
You have got it when you can say:
- I can say what my project is and who it is for in two sentences.
- I can name two design choices that suit my audience.
- I can show a success list my teacher agrees is checkable.
Year 11 · ICT · After the exams · Lesson 2 of 5
Retrieval starter
Questions from before. Write your answers, then show them.
- Last unit
A memory card in a camera is…
A MagneticB Solid stateC Optical
B. Solid state
- Earlier this year
Reflecting an image…
A Mirrors itB Makes it darkerC Rotates it 90°
A. Mirrors it
- Last year
Zip compression is…
A NeitherB LosslessC Lossy
B. Lossless
Year 11 · ICT · After the exams · Lesson 2 of 5
Key words (1 of 5)
- Systems life cycle
- The stages used to create a new system: analysis, design, development and testing, implementation, documentation, evaluation.
- Systems analyst
- The person who studies the current system and plans the new one.
- Questionnaire
- A set of written questions given to many people to collect their views.
Year 11 · ICT · After the exams · Lesson 2 of 5
Key words (2 of 5)
- System specification
- A list of the hardware and software the new system needs.
- Check digit
- An extra digit calculated from the other digits, used to detect input errors.
- Data capture form
- A paper or on-screen form used to collect data.
- Test plan
- A table listing each test, its data, the expected and actual outcomes and any remedial action.
Year 11 · ICT · After the exams · Lesson 2 of 5
Key words (3 of 5)
- Live data
- Real data from the organisation, used to test the system with known results.
- Evaluation
- Judging the finished system against the original requirements after it has been used.
- Audience
- The group of people a product is made for.
- Audience appreciation
- Understanding the audience's needs and planning a product to suit them.
Year 11 · ICT · After the exams · Lesson 2 of 5
Key words (4 of 5)
- Purpose
- The job a product must do, such as inform, persuade, entertain or sell.
- Expectations
- What users expect a product to look like and be able to do.
- Accessibility
- Designing so that people with disabilities or extra needs can use a product.
- Software piracy
- Illegally copying, sharing or selling software.
Year 11 · ICT · After the exams · Lesson 2 of 5
Key words (5 of 5)
- Product key
- A unique code entered during installation to prove the copy is genuine.
7.1 Analysis · The explanation · step 1 of 9 · part 1 of 2
What a system is and why there is a life cycle
A system is a way of doing a job: the people, the data, the steps and the equipment.
The systems life cycle is the order of stages used to build a new system. Each stage feeds the next.
The stages are: analysis, design, development and testing, implementation, documentation, evaluation.
A systems analyst is the person who studies the old system and plans the new one.
7.1 Analysis · The explanation · step 1 of 9 · part 2 of 2
What a system is and why there is a life cycle (continued)
Working in stages means problems are found early, when they are cheap to fix. A mistake found after the system is live costs far more.
7.1 Analysis · The explanation · step 2 of 9 · part 1 of 2
Research method 1 and 2: observation and interviews
Observation means watching people use the current system.
Interviews mean asking people questions face to face, one at a time.
Both methods help the analyst understand the current system before designing a new one.
| Method | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| Observation | The analyst sees what really happens, not what people say happens. Reliable first-hand data. Fairly cheap: only the analyst's time. | People may work differently because they know they are watched (the Hawthorne effect). It can take a long time. Some tasks are not seen if they happen rarely. |
| Interviews | Questions can be changed during the interview to follow up answers. The analyst can see body language. People can explain problems in detail. | Very time-consuming, so only a few people can be interviewed. Expensive (analyst and staff away from work). People may give answers they think the analyst wants. Not anonymous. |
7.1 Analysis · The explanation · step 2 of 9 · part 2 of 2
Research method 1 and 2: observation and interviews (continued)
7.1 Analysis · The explanation · step 3 of 9 · part 1 of 3
Research method 3 and 4: questionnaires and examining documents
A questionnaire is a set of written questions given to many people, on paper or online.
Examining documents means reading the papers and files the current system uses: forms, invoices, reports.
Analysts usually use more than one method, so the weaknesses of one are covered by another.
| Method | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| Questionnaires | Reach many people quickly and cheaply. Can be anonymous, so answers are more honest. People answer when it suits them. Answers are easy to analyse, especially tick boxes. | Many people do not return them. Questions cannot be explained or changed. People may misunderstand a question. Tick boxes limit the answers people can give. |
| Examining documents | Shows exactly what data the system holds and the format it uses. Helps decide inputs and outputs. Does not interrupt staff. | Very time-consuming to read everything. Documents may be out of date or hard to understand. Costly, because of the analyst's time. |
7.1 Analysis · The explanation · step 3 of 9 · part 2 of 3
Research method 3 and 4: questionnaires and examining documents (continued)
7.1 Analysis · The explanation · step 3 of 9 · part 3 of 3
Research method 3 and 4: questionnaires and examining documents (continued)
In exam answers, give an advantage and a disadvantage that fit the scenario. 'It is quick' alone rarely earns a mark. Say quick compared with what, for example 'quicker than interviewing 600 students one by one'.
7.1 Analysis · The explanation · step 4 of 9 · part 1 of 3
What the analysis must find out
The analyst records the inputs (data going in), processing (what is done to the data) and outputs (results coming out) of the current system.
The analyst also lists the problems with the current system.
From this come the user requirements (what the users need the system to do) and the information requirements (what information the system must produce).
Finally the analyst writes a system specification: the hardware and software the new system needs.
7.1 Analysis · The explanation · step 4 of 9 · part 2 of 3
What the analysis must find out (continued)
| Item | Library example |
|---|---|
| Inputs | Student ID, book ISBN, date of loan |
| Processing | Work out the return date, check if a book is overdue |
| Outputs | Loan receipt, list of overdue books, reminder emails |
| Problems | Cards get lost, overdue books are not chased |
| User requirement | A librarian can record a loan in under 30 seconds |
| Information requirement | A weekly report of overdue books by tutor group |
| Hardware specification | PC, barcode reader, receipt printer |
| Software specification | Database software, operating system, email software |
7.1 Analysis · The explanation · step 4 of 9 · part 3 of 3
What the analysis must find out (continued)
The hardware and software choices depend on the requirements. For example, scanning book barcodes needs a barcode reader, and storing thousands of records needs enough storage.
9.1 Audience appreciation · The explanation · step 5 of 9 · part 1 of 2
What audience appreciation means
The audience is the group of people who will read, watch or use a product.
Audience appreciation means understanding their needs and planning the product to suit them.
The designer finds out about the audience first, often with questionnaires, interviews or observation, the same methods used in the systems life cycle.
9.1 Audience appreciation · The explanation · step 5 of 9 · part 2 of 2
What audience appreciation means (continued)
If the audience is ignored, people find the product hard to use, boring or confusing. They stop using it, and the time and money spent is wasted.
The explanation · 4 more steps
More on the lesson page
The lesson page has the rest of the explanation, step by step:
- Four things to know about the audience
- Design choices you can change
- Purpose: what the product is for
- Accessibility for all users