What to Include in a Showroom Design Brief for a Project in China

Separate the people who will visit from the people who will approve the project. A senior customer delegation, a distributor training group and a public audience may need different levels of explanation. Record the typical group size, available visit time, languages and whether the space will be guided or self-directed.

Then describe the outcome in ordinary language: demonstrate how a product works, explain a manufacturing capability, introduce a regional investment opportunity or help a sales team hold a more specific conversation. These objectives give later design choices something concrete to be tested against.

Share the address or proposed location, a current floor plan, photographs and any known access restrictions. Indicate whether the drawings are surveyed records or an early layout. A concept plan should not be mistaken for a verified construction base.

Useful questions include what already exists, what can be retained, how equipment and large exhibits reach the room, and who manages the building interfaces. The project team should identify which information needs a site survey before detailed drawings or quantities can be relied on.

List the physical objects, product samples, models, documents, films and interactive experiences that may be included. For each item, record whether it exists, who owns it, its approximate size and what explanation it needs. Identify demonstration items that need a separate technical review.

For digital material, distinguish ready-to-use media from source material and ideas that still need scripting. An existing corporate film may not fit the proportions, duration or audience of a showroom display. The multimedia workstream should therefore be included in the brief from the beginning.

State whether you need a new concept, development of an appointed designer’s scheme, construction from coordinated drawings or a defined multimedia package. Include existing brand guidelines, approved visuals and any documents that must remain the design authority.

A scope table is helpful even before quantities are known. Use separate rows for space planning, detailing, fabrication, site installation, lighting, displays, content, interaction, control and handover. Assign each row an owner and mark shared interfaces for discussion. This makes proposals easier to compare.

Give the intended opening window, any fixed event date and when the site may be available. Also identify decisions that depend on other departments, such as product availability, content approval or building access. A target opening date is different from an agreed construction programme.

If you have a budget range, state the currency and what it is intended to include. If the budget is not yet defined, ask for an outline scope and a list of cost drivers before seeking a detailed quotation. See the quotation comparison guide for a practical breakdown.

Identify one contact who can coordinate feedback and the people who must review the story, brand treatment, technical interfaces and commercial scope. Explain how overseas stakeholders will participate and which documents need English-language review.

The operating team should be represented before the final handover. Their questions about start-up, daily presentation, updating content and fault reporting can affect the design of the control interface and the information that needs to be documented.

• Project city, site photographs and plans, if available.
• Visitor groups, objectives, languages and approximate visit duration.
• Exhibit list and an indication of available digital material.
• Current design stage, appointed partners and requested scope.
• Opening window, review contacts and budget assumptions.

A brief is a working document, not a reason to postpone the first conversation. Send what is known, label what needs confirmation and ask the team to help turn the missing information into a decision list. Share your showroom brief or read how the delivery stages fit together.