Arcade.nick.com: Audience
In previous section of my analysis I express an audience of children and adults for Arcade.nick.com. For the purposes of my analysis I define "children" as 16 years old and younger. Children are the primary target audience and adults are the secondary target audience. Whatever the order, the site is successful in targeting both audiences. In a tool called "eating the audience," Curtis describes a zero-in technique that involves a thought process about who the audience is and what they want (76). The "who" is established, but the "what" is more than games. Children users want to be entertained while shopping for entertainment. Colors, images, buttons, etc. create entertainment for children users. In addition to these features, the trial game feature demonstrates the juvenile target audience. For a limited time children can play Arcade.nick.com games online for free. This interactivity between the user and the website is a great way of eating the audience.
Web designers must assume the adult audience has limited time, especially when buying children's games online. Again the simplicity concept comes into play. Adult users want to quickly find the game or games they're looking for, purchase it and be on their way. Site structure is important for adult users. Menus, links, typography, etc., create simplicity for adult users. The links on Arcade.nick.com take users directly to what they want and the arcade home menu is available on every subsite. The trial game feature may be for adult users also. parents, guardians, etc. want to know what games their children, nieces, nephews, etc. are playing. It is a way for adult users to engage in the website, but also a way of engagement with the children their purchasing games for. Web designers have to take every possible angle when targeting an audience, especially when targeting two audiences. "Think about factors such as their age, education, interests, environment, and the sort of the computer they use" (Curtis 76).
Rasia Middleton
CMS 3710
Updated: November 13, 2008