In this country, gray seems to stand for professionalism, for seriousness or respectability. Gray in every conceivable shade. The Germans love their grey so much, they mix the entire color palette with grey. If they want something a little more "daring", they are also inclined to try gray-blue or gray-green. At the same time, we all know the heart-warming feeling of looking wistfully at the colorful Cuban houses when we return from vacation. When we immerse ourselves in the dazzling life of Central and South America. No one would post the gray seats of the German train on their Instagram account. A bright yellow school bus down under is more likely to do the trick. Colors make you happy. Colors enrich life. Nature is also colorful and actually knows what's good for you.

Why does joy of life go with vacations but not with our everyday lives? Why do people think that a color on the wall or on furniture "might get tired of it at some point"? I wonder why gray, of all colors, is the exception here. Does the average German have a problem "committing" to a color? Did the 1970s, when there was a clear rebellion in this respect, not do Germans any lasting good? Can we get any further psychologically? With children, the diagnosis is clear: if a child paints its picture in black, this is clearly a cause for concern. "Are you sad?", "Are you in trouble?", "Do you feel threatened?". I, at least, feel threatened by the gray design landscape.

We probably have as many shades of gray as there are words for (snow)white north of the Arctic Circle. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy when the supposed resale value of black or grey cars is higher than that of colored ones. Will all cars soon be gray? Oh wait ... they already are. When I look at modern German architecture, I can already feel the depression knocking on my door. After all, architecture is made for people. But somehow User Experience doesn't seem to have any special significance in German architecture and urban planning.