Inspiration vs information: the two journeys every specifier takes
Architects move between two modes: open-ended browsing for ideas, and focused hunting for facts. Brands that win specifications show up in both — and make the handover between them effortless.
Journey one: inspiration
Early in a project, architects browse widely — architecture platforms, search, image boards, magazines and visits to built work. ArchDaily’s 2020 survey found ArchDaily (84%), Google (68%), specialised magazines (59%) and Pinterest (58%) were the leading places to find products and inspiration.
In this mode, the specifier is not looking for your brand. They are looking for ideas — materials, textures, details and finished spaces. Your job is to be part of those ideas.
Journey two: information
Once a direction is set, the mode switches to facts. In the same ArchDaily survey, 89% used manufacturers’ websites for technical research. Arch-Vision’s 2011 European barometer found the internet was already the leading source for product information among UK architects (79%), ahead of trade journals. BIMobject’s 2025 report shows specifiers increasingly expect downloadable BIM objects, data sheets and certifications at this stage.
Here, clarity wins. Specifiers need dimensions, performance, finishes, availability and installation detail, quickly and without a sales conversation.
Where brands lose the specification
- Invisible during inspiration — the product never enters the shortlist.
- Thin on information — the specifier cannot find what they need and picks a competitor.
- Lost on site — BIMobject reports that substitutions happen often for 35% of respondents and sometimes for a further 43%. If contractors do not know your product, the spec can be swapped.
Designing for both journeys
- Inspire with project imagery and video on the channels architects browse.
- Inform with a fast, complete technical section on your website.
- Connect the two — every inspiring asset should lead in one click to the facts.
- Protect the spec on site by also reaching contractors, plumbers and dealers.
The India lens
These studies cover global, European and US practice; comparable published data for India is limited. The two-journey pattern is still a practical way to plan: reach verified Indian specifiers during inspiration, give them complete information when they look, and keep the site teams on side so the specification holds.
- Specifiers browse for ideas first, then hunt for facts.
- Most technical research happens on manufacturer websites.
- Substitutions are common — protect the spec by reaching site teams too.