How to write a specification for professional displays

Selecting a professional display involves more than choosing a screen size and setting a budget. The hardware must suit a specific location, operating schedule, viewing distance and user journey. A display that works well in a meeting room may therefore be unsuitable for a shop window, reception area or retail aisle.

A well-structured specification makes it easier to compare coherent solutions and anticipate installation, operation and maintenance. The following questions should be documented before consulting an integrator or selecting professional displays.

1. What purpose must the display serve?

Start by describing the intended use without immediately naming a model or technology. Will the display welcome or direct visitors, present an offer, support a search, share internal information or assist sales staff? This prevents an oversized installation or hardware that cannot deliver the intended journey.

Specify the audience, context and expected action. A passing visitor does not read a screen like an employee in a waiting area. A kiosk that people actively choose to use follows different rules from a display viewed from several metres away.

2. Where will the hardware be installed?

The environment determines much of the selection. Record the available dimensions, mounting height, required orientation, light sources, reflections, traffic routes and possible obstructions. A brightly exposed window, an indoor reception desk and an interactive information point create different constraints.

• Indoor, window-facing or outdoor installation.
• Portrait or landscape orientation and the actual available dimensions.
• Viewing distance and angles from which content must remain legible.
• Availability of power, network access and cable routes.
• Constraints relating to the wall, furniture, floor or supporting structure.

3. What brightness and format are required?

Brightness should be assessed in the real environment rather than from an isolated product sheet. A level suited to a controlled room may prove insufficient in strong ambient light. Conversely, excessive brightness in a dark area may reduce comfort. Request a recommendation that considers exposure and operating hours.

Screen size depends less on filling a space than on the content to be read and the available viewing distance. Headlines, prices, maps, videos and touch interfaces do not require the same surface area. Confirm that content can be produced for the chosen orientation and resolution.

4. What operating schedule should be planned?

State the days and hours of operation, including closure periods. Selection should reflect the planned usage pattern and the conditions specified by the manufacturer. This affects the hardware choice as well as scheduling power-up, shutdown and routine checks.

Reliability does not depend on the display alone. Mounting quality, ventilation, power, network access, any external player and maintenance accessibility all contribute to continuity. The specification should therefore cover the complete installation.

5. Does touch interaction provide a real benefit?

A touch display is relevant when users need to select, search, compare or enter information. Simply adding interaction to content designed for passive viewing is not enough. The scenario should define the home screen, available choices, navigation depth, automatic return to the start and behaviour after inactivity.

Placement should support comfortable use through an accessible height, sufficient space in front of the unit, unobstructed circulation and content suited to close viewing. If no useful action is expected, a non-touch display will generally be simpler to operate.

6. How will the display be physically integrated?

Describe the intended installation: wall mount, floor stand, totem, furniture integration or a multi-display arrangement. Technical components and connectors should remain accessible without compromising the appearance. Ventilation and clearances must follow the requirements of the selected equipment.

A site survey brings the project into contact with building realities: supporting surface, available sockets, cable routing, delivery access and the possibility of working without unnecessarily disrupting operations. Addressing these details limits improvised changes during installation.

7. How will content be delivered and managed?

Hardware should be considered together with the delivery workflow. Define who creates, approves, schedules and checks the content on screen. State whether the network covers one site or several locations and whether local teams will have any autonomy.

ALLSAN develops SanDisplay to create, schedule, deliver and remotely supervise content across a display network. Depending on existing equipment, the solution can also be adapted through an external player; precise compatibility and available options must be checked for each project.

8. What maintenance procedures are required?

The specification should identify who performs the initial diagnosis and define access to the equipment. A display mounted high up, enclosed in furniture or placed behind a decorative finish may look attractive but be harder to inspect. Power, connections and playback components should be accessible without disproportionate dismantling.

Maintain an inventory containing the location, model, orientation and role of each display. For a multisite network, consistent naming makes communication easier between central teams, local managers and technical contractors.

9. How should supplier responses be compared?

Request a point-by-point response rather than a simple product list. Each proposal should explain why the format, brightness, mounting system, delivery method and usage conditions suit the context. Any limitations or prerequisites should be explicit.

• Alignment between the stated use and proposed hardware.
• Consideration of light, viewing distance and operating hours.
• Consistency between display, mount, content delivery and connectivity.
• Access conditions for maintenance and technical work.
• Clear identification of prerequisites to be provided by the site.

10. What should be attached to the specification?

Attach photographs, a dimensioned plan, operating hours, a description of the content and a user journey diagram. For an interactive project, include a few functional screens or a simple scenario. For multiple locations, separate common requirements from site-specific constraints.

Planning a new installation or renewing a display network? Present your project to ALLSAN with its intended uses, locations and constraints so that suitable hardware selection and integration can be examined.