In the quest to enhance database performance monitoring software, the article explores how color can be used effectively to improve user experience by highlighting key insights and minimizing noise. The author, a Senior Product Designer at Cockroach Labs, delves into the science of perception and information visualization to address the challenges faced by current monitoring tools, which often create visually overwhelming interfaces. By examining examples from popular software like Grafana and Datadog, it becomes evident that arbitrary or excessive use of color can obscure important data, making it harder for users to quickly identify critical metrics. The article suggests that using a more thoughtful approach to color—such as employing grayscale for most elements and reserving contrasting colors for urgent alerts—could lead to more intuitive and efficient designs. The aim is to design systems that leverage human perceptual abilities, allowing users to maintain awareness and prevent potential issues in mission-critical databases.