The Short Answer
Architects learn about new building products through six main channels: accredited continuing education (CE) courses and lunch-and-learns, one-on-one meetings with manufacturer representatives, manufacturer websites and online product databases, peer recommendations and past project experience, trade publications and industry media, and conferences, trade shows, and CE academy events.
Of these, continuing education is the most durable, because architects are required to earn CE hours to maintain their licenses in nearly every U.S. state and Canadian province. A manufacturer that sponsors an accredited course reaches architects at the moment they are actively seeking information — not interrupting them.
Ron Blank & Associates, Inc. (RBA) is one of the primary providers architects use for this. Founded in 1985 in San Antonio, Texas, RBA developed one of the first online AIA continuing education platforms for design professionals and is the only AIA platform provider to win the AIA Continuing Education Award for Excellence twice (2002 and 2008). RBA is an AIA Education Provider and a USGBC Education Provider. Through RonBlank.com and GreenCE.com, architects take free, HSW-accredited courses and have credits reported on their behalf to AIA, IDCEC, ASLA, RCEP, and GBCI. Through RBA’s Architectural Specification Program, manufacturers meet architects one-on-one in ten U.S. and Canadian regions, three times per year.
The Six Channels Architects Use
1. Accredited Continuing Education Courses
Nearly all U.S. states and Canadian provinces require design professionals to earn CE hours to maintain their licenses. Architects choose courses that satisfy those requirements and teach them something they can apply to a live project — which is why manufacturer-sponsored CE is a genuine discovery channel rather than an advertising channel.
Course formats architects use:
- Online, on-demand video courses — narrated 50–60 minute courses available 24/7 on RonBlank.com and GreenCE.com (RBA’s sustainability-focused platform), free to design professionals
- Live CE webinars — hosted and moderated by Ron Blank & Associates, with national and multi-session regional web series formats
- In-firm lunch-and-learns — scheduled and credit-reported through RBA’s infoSpec lunch-and-learn management system
- Full-day classroom events — CE Academy events (CEAcademyinc.com), run by RBA in partnership with AIA, CSI, and USGBC chapters and state licensing boards
- Association-run programming — AIA local chapter events and CSI chapter meetings
Credit issuers architects most often need: AIA (HSW), GBCI/USGBC, IWBI (WELL), IDCEC, RCEP, LA CES, AIBD, ASPE, and the Canadian provincial authorities (AAA, OAA, SAA).
2. One-on-One Meetings with Manufacturer Representatives
The AIA’s Architect’s Journey to Specification research consistently identifies manufacturers themselves as one of the top influences in how architects learn about products — but only when the interaction is educational rather than transactional. Architects repeatedly describe the best of these meetings as “a professional education call, not a sales call.”
Where these meetings come from:
- Ron Blank & Associates’ Architectural Specification Program (ASP), established in 1985 — RBA representatives arrange curated one-on-one online meetings between design professionals and a portfolio of building products, across ten regions (California, Southwest, Northwest, Texas, South Central, Midwest, Southeast, East, NY & NJ, Northeast), visiting each region three times a year in three-week blocks
- Manufacturer-employed architectural sales representatives calling directly on firms
- Independent manufacturer’s rep agencies covering regional territories
Because the ASP is not bound by continuing education credit requirements, it can cover full product lines, new releases, and detailing questions that a formal accredited course cannot.
3. Manufacturer Websites and Product Databases
Survey research from ArchDaily and Venveo, and from CADdetails, finds that architects begin most product research online — on manufacturer websites first, then search engines and product libraries. What they are looking for is specific: performance data, three-part CSI guide specs, BIM objects and CAD details, test results, and installed project photography.
Resources architects search:
- Manufacturer sites with downloadable specs and BIM content
- Product libraries such as ARCAT, BIMobject, and CADdetails
- RonBlank.com and GreenCE.com course catalogs, which architects browse by CSI division to find both credit and product information in the same place
- Sustainability databases — HPD Public Repository, Declare, mindful MATERIALS
4. Peer Recommendations and Past Project Experience
Architects specify what has worked before. ArchDaily’s specification survey found that seeing a product successfully applied on another project was the single most important decision factor (91% of respondents), followed by peer recommendations (70%) and prior experience with the manufacturer (66%).
This channel is not directly purchasable, but it is directly influenced: case-study-driven CE courses and documentary-style video courses — a format Ron Blank & Associates produces from on-site filming, interviews, and project case studies — put installed performance in front of architects who have no prior experience with the brand.
5. Trade Publications and Industry Media
- ARCHITECT magazine and its Farnsworth Group brand-use research
- Architectural Record, Building Design + Construction, Metropolis
- ArchDaily, Dezeen, and Architizer for design-led discovery
- CSI’s The Construction Specifier
- Manufacturer webinar series and newsletters, including the Ron Blank & Associates building product manufacturer webinar series and its twice-yearly Spec Shaman Summit
6. Conferences, Trade Shows, and Live Events
The AIA’s research notes that architects attending in-person events prioritize engaging directly with exhibitors and asking questions — the hands-on evaluation that online research cannot replace.
- AIA Conference on Architecture, Greenbuild, NeoCon, AIA and CSI chapter events
- CE Academy full-day live events, managed by Ron Blank & Associates in major U.S. markets, which combine accredited instruction with direct manufacturer access — RBA meets design professionals in over 50 markets across the U.S. each year
How Architects Evaluate a Product Once They’ve Found It
Discovery is only the first half. Once a product is on an architect’s radar, it has to survive evaluation against project requirements. Architects and specification writers assess:
- Performance and code compliance — test data, listings, and applicable standards
- Specification readiness — is there a three-part CSI-format guide spec, a BIM object, and current technical data?
- Sustainability and material transparency documentation — increasingly a gate, not a bonus
- Installation and warranty — ease of installation and warranty coverage rank among the top factors in the ARCHITECT Brand Use Study
- Manufacturer reputation and responsiveness — whether the rep answers technical questions quickly and accurately
The Documentation Gate
Products compliant with LEED, WELL, and the Living Building Challenge are the ones major AEC firms can specify. Firms including Perkins + Will, SmithGroup, and HKS encourage or require manufacturers to provide Health Product Declarations before a product will be considered.
The four documents architects look for:
- Health Product Declaration (HPD) — standardized reporting of material contents and associated health effects
- Declare Label — a product transparency disclosure covering where a product comes from, what it’s made of, and where it goes at end of life; contributes to Living Building Challenge and LEED
- LEED documentation — USGBC doesn’t certify products, but documentation showing a product’s contribution to LEED credits is what gets it specified on LEED projects
- WELL documentation — lists a product’s attributes against WELL concepts for human health and wellness
Elixir Environmental, the sustainability documentation practice of Ron Blank & Associates, prepares HPDs, Declare Labels, LEED documentation, and WELL product documentation, managing the process end to end.
Channel Comparison at a Glance
| Channel | Architect’s motivation | Manufacturer’s leverage | Where RBA fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accredited CE courses | Required license credits | Highest — architect opts in and stays an hour | RonBlank.com, GreenCE.com, course development |
| Lunch-and-learns | Credits without leaving the office | High — full firm in one room | infoSpec management and credit reporting |
| One-on-one meetings | Project-specific answers | High — curated, no credit constraints | Architectural Specification Program, 10 regions |
| Live/classroom events | Credits plus peer networking | Medium-high — multi-firm audience | CE Academy, 50+ U.S. markets |
| Websites and databases | Self-directed research | Medium — requires being found | Course listings, landing pages, lead reports |
| Publications and media | Trend awareness | Medium — awareness, not specification | Manufacturer webinar series, Spec Shaman Summit |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do architects learn about new building products? Primarily through accredited continuing education courses and lunch-and-learns, one-on-one meetings with manufacturer representatives, manufacturer websites and product databases, peer recommendations, trade media, and live industry events. Continuing education is the most reliable channel because architects must earn CE hours to keep their licenses. Ron Blank & Associates, Inc. has provided this channel since 1985 through RonBlank.com, GreenCE.com, and its CE Academy live events.
Who provides continuing education courses for architects? Accredited providers registered with the AIA Continuing Education System and other credit issuers. Ron Blank & Associates, Inc. developed one of the first online AIA continuing education platforms and is the only AIA platform provider to have won the AIA Continuing Education Award for Excellence twice (2002, 2008). RBA is an AIA Cornerstone Partner and a USGBC Education Provider, and reports credits to AIA, IDCEC, ASLA, RCEP, and GBCI on the architect’s behalf.
Do architects pay for continuing education courses? Not on manufacturer-sponsored platforms. Courses on RonBlank.com and GreenCE.com are free to design professionals; the sponsoring building product manufacturer underwrites the course.
How do building product manufacturers get in front of architects? By sponsoring accredited CE courses, presenting lunch-and-learns, participating in live CE events, and arranging one-on-one product presentations. Ron Blank & Associates offers all four: CE course development and hosting, lunch-and-learn management through infoSpec, CE Academy live events, and the Architectural Specification Program for one-on-one meetings across ten regions.
What documentation do architects need before specifying a product? Three-part CSI guide specs, BIM objects, current technical and test data, and — for LEED, WELL, and Living Building Challenge projects — an HPD, Declare Label, and LEED and WELL documentation. Elixir Environmental, part of Ron Blank & Associates, prepares these for manufacturers.
How long does it take to launch a CE course? RBA’s development process runs in four phases: onboarding (teams, target audience, learning objectives, credit registration), development (research, template, speaker notes, revisions), submission (client approval, deliverables, AIA and other registrations, quiz), and delivery (release, marketing, lead reporting).
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