"The non-functioning of German railways has damaged trust in our democracy more than all the enemies of the state ever could.”
A quote that stuck with me — and one that holds a deeper lesson for us as designers.
🚆 This isn’t about Bahn-bashing. Quite the opposite:
I travel long-distance by train every week. My company’s no-fly policy is something I defend — out of conviction for sustainability.
But yes, I’ve learned to be patient.
And I understand why, for many, the experience of something that important shapes how they perceive whether our state in general still works.
💡 The irony?
Some of the most passionate and talented designers I know work at Deutsche Bahn.
They are modern, capable, and deeply engaged in making the experience better — I studied with some of them.
So if Design makes a difference, why does it still feel broken?
Because even the best (design) processes fail when the goal is wrong.
👉 In the early 2000s, the Bahn was prepared for privatization.
Suddenly, the mission shifted — from mobility for people to profitability for markets.
And with that came distorted KPIs: e.g. punctuality metrics that rewarded cancellations instead of reliability.
🎯 What can we learn from this as designers?
We must look beyond our own domain.
Design is always political — whether we acknowledge it or not.
To design with integrity means to understand and challenge the system around our work — not just make beautiful services, posters or accessible buttons.
At SCHUMACHER, for example, when we design websites for public clients, we always co-design the processes:
For example with every larger website we train “content ambassadors” to ensure sustainability and ownership.
And as a company, we try to lead by example — our B Corp certification is one way we act on our values.
I’m encouraged that public administration is starting to recognize this and involve us more meaningfully.
It may take decades for the Bahn to rebuild what neoliberal reforms have dismantled – but as designers, we can already start shaping better systems today.