When it came to Architectural Metal Coatings, Sherwin-Williams needed to find a way to connect with architects that would resonate beyond being just “a paint company.”

As a leader in Architectural Metal Coatings, we wanted to position Sherwin-Williams as an innovative partner through technology.

Research showed that architects think of color differently. It is influenced by their creativity, thoughts and inspiration. Sherwin-Williams was obsessed with color and its creative potential in architecture. This like-minded passion became the inspiration for Thinking In Color: An Immersive Experience by Sherwin-Williams.

To demonstrate Sherwin-Williams’ obsession for color, we created an opportunity to explore hues created by the mind.

Our technology is an adaptation of an existing platform, with custom software that determines the colors that are generated.

For the Thinking In Color experience, EEG headsets placed on each participant’s head captured alpha, beta, gamma and theta brainwaves. The brain-wave monitoring technology generated hues based on brain activity.

For the Thinking In Color experience, we developed brain-wave monitoring technology to generate hues based on brain activity. EEG headsets placed on each participant’s head captured alpha, beta, gamma and theta brainwaves. We then visualized their brain data in color, on a 17-foot-tall LED screen. Inspired by brain-waves, a fluctuating color stream would build on screen throughout the experience, evolving as the brain-wave activity shifted.

Each participant would witness their own unique colors and patterns being created in real time. As the colors were being generated, numerous samples and color ranges that occurred most often were used to create a personalized gradient. Upon completion, users would receive their printed gradient swatch and a digital version as well.

Every touchpoint in the experience, from the EEG headset to the brain-wave visualization to the personalized data, was designed to reflect the simple and organic nature of brainwaves.

Inspired by architects’ minds and their uniquely created hues, Sherwin-Williams launched an architectural metal coatings Architect Series, including 12 new colors never previously cataloged or released.

Since its debut, over 2,000 participants have experienced Thinking In Color, exploring its 16 million+ color possibilities.