A good stand design brief gives your designer everything they need to get the first concept close to right, so revisions fix details rather than start over. At minimum that means your show and space specifics, what you're trying to achieve, your brand assets, your two or three key messages, and a real budget range — vague inputs on any of these are the most common reason a first concept misses.
Show and Space Details
Give your designer the show name, venue, your stand's exact dimensions and orientation, and whether it's shell scheme or space-only. Neighbouring stands, sightlines and any venue restrictions on height or projection matter too — a design that ignores these gets sent back for rework once the venue's rules catch up with it.
What You're Trying to Achieve
Brand awareness, lead generation, a product launch and relationship-building all suggest different stand designs — a stand trying to do all four at once usually does none of them well. Tell your designer which one matters most for this specific show, not a generic list of everything that would be nice.
Brand Assets and Key Messages
Provide your actual logo files, brand colours and fonts — not a verbal description of them — and narrow your messaging to two or three points visible at a glance. A stand crowded with every message you'd like to communicate reads as no message at all to someone walking past at aisle pace.
A Real Budget Range
A genuine budget range gets you a faster, better-fitted design than an artificially low number that gets revised twice once the real constraints show up. Redblu offers a free 3D design with every enquiry specifically so you can see the concept before committing — an honest budget from the start makes that first concept more useful, not less.
What a Complete Brief Looks Like
Pull it together: show, venue, dimensions and orientation; shell scheme or space-only; your primary objective; brand assets; two to three key messages; and a real budget range. See our full exhibition checklist for where this fits into your wider planning timeline. If you're not sure whether you need shell scheme or space-only, our exhibition stand design team in Scotland can advise before you brief.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I include in a stand design brief?
Show and venue details, your stand's exact dimensions, whether it's shell scheme or space-only, your primary objective, brand assets, two to three key messages, and a real budget range.
Why does my stand design keep missing the mark?
Usually a vague or incomplete brief — unclear objectives, missing brand assets, or too many competing messages force a designer to guess rather than design to spec.
Should I give my stand designer a fixed budget?
Yes — a genuine budget range produces a faster, better-fitted first concept than an artificially low number that needs revising once real costs appear.
Do I need to know exactly what I want before briefing a stand designer?
No — a clear objective and a real budget range matter more than a fully formed design idea. A good exhibition stand designer develops the concept from your brief rather than executing one you dictate, so focus on your show details, objective, brand assets and key messages, and leave the layout to them.
Is Redblu's exhibition stand design service based in Scotland?
Yes — Redblu is headquartered in Glasgow with a second delivery hub in Hampshire, so Scottish exhibitors briefing a stand designer get a local design team alongside UK-wide delivery. Every enquiry includes a free 3D design, so you can see the concept before committing to anything.
Ready to brief your stand? Get a free 3D design with your enquiry.
