Finding color. AI + Voice.

As the lead UX designer and product conceptualizer, I tackled a critical challenge in the architectural coatings industry: long buying cycles and complex decision-making processes were reducing both the propensity to buy and long-term loyalty among architects. Recognizing that traditional methods no longer met the needs of modern design teams, I led the transformation of this experience into a digital-first, collaborative workflow. More than just digitizing an outdated process, we reimagined it as an end-to-end service—streamlining sample creation, enhancing collaboration, and ultimately increasing engagement and satisfaction for architectural specifiers.

“We can’t bring 50,000 samples to an architect and so we show them about 200."

With each use, "Speaking In Color" is creating one of the largest data sets of color attribution in the world. As a result, we're gaining insights into the global, cultural, and geographical influences of individual colors. This gives Sherwin-Williams an advantage in color mapping, predicting trends, and understanding the role color plays in all of our lives.

Today, Sherwin-Williams "Speaking In Color" is redefining the color experience, making it possible to find the impossible – the ONE.

Problem

Coil coating is a process used by architects for large-scale buildings and stadiums. Architects prefer to create their own custom treatments, but the existing process required months of back-and-forth with Sherwin-Williams lab technicians. Samples were physically mailed, creating delays. Architects had limited ability to track orders, manage versioning, or collaborate in real time with lab technicians. This slow, opaque process hindered creativity and responsiveness.

The Opportunity

We combined qualitative and design research to identify key opportunities for improvement. By understanding user pain points - mapped to a journey map, we partnered with the business team to project the potential value of a more streamlined, collaborative experience.

We built a service blueprint along with an experience map to identify ideas that would address pain points at different moments within an architects journey.

We also worked with the brand team on naming and visual styling, laying the groundwork for a solution that enables real-time collaboration, better visibility, and faster iteration for architects and lab technicians alike.

The Result

"First-ever B2B Grand Prix awarded for ‘explosive’ AI color-generating tool from Sherwin-Williams" The Drum

"Speaking In Color" is a voice-activated AI color system that produces hues based on human inspiration. For example, by simply speaking: "Crystal clear, Caribbean water" millions of images are analyzed in a search algorithm, and optical recognition technology creates a custom color palette. Using the intuitive power of AI, any color can be fine-tuned by saying, "A little brighter" or "Blend in a bit more blue" to find that one in a million color.

For the first time ever, color can be spoken into existence.

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