Spotting Color Deficiency Early: How I Use the X-Rite Hue Test in My Classroom

When I was in college for commercial photography and graphic design, one of the younger students in the room leaned over to me and asked me the strangest question. We were looking at images projected on the wall and he asked if an object on the screen was orange or purple. When I gave him the side eye or "what kind of question is that?" he told me that he was color blind.

I honestly, didn't believe him at first. "What do you mean you're colorblind??"

Later on in the year, as we were discussing our own work with the class during a color theory lesson, he started talking about why he chose a specific color for his focus and I blurted out "But you're color blind!"

We had lots of talks about how he uses tricks to "see" colors, but that he had a significant Red/Green deficiency and so most colors that I saw normally looked gray to him. He had reference images that he used and he learned (by others telling him) how to read the RGB color spectrum in Photoshop as well as how to read Hex Codes.

So now, of course, one of the first things I do in my design and photography classes each year is to have my students take the X-Rite Hue Test. It’s a free online challenge that helps you and your students see how well someone can tell the difference between subtle color shifts.

Here’s how it works:

Students drag small colored tiles into order from one hue to another with the first and last block stuck in place (It’s oddly satisfying, like visual ASMR). At the end, the site gives them a score showing how accurately they arranged the colors. A low score means they are great at seeing small color differences, and a high score might indicate a bit of a color deficiency.

I love doing this early in the year/semester because it starts an important conversation - that we don’t all see color the same way. For some students, this test is the first time they realize that or the first time they learn they have a deficiency. It’s not about judging or labeling anyone, it’s about awareness.

If a student scores higher on the test, we talk about what that might mean for their design work. For example, they might:

• Rely more on contrast, tone, or texture instead of subtle color shifts.

• Use color harmony tools in Photoshop, Illustrator, or Canva to guide their choices.

• Label swatches or stick with pre-made palettes that are already balanced.

This activity takes less than ten minutes, and it always sparks great discussions. Some students even want to retake it to see if they can “beat” their previous score!

It’s also a nice reminder for me as a teacher - when I’m grading color harmony or composition, I keep in mind that color perception really does vary from person to person. It's also a great way to start talking about what we see on a computer screen (light projected behind colors) to what a printer creates (light printed on top of white) and how the subtle changes are more apparent on the screen than when printed. 

If you teach design, art, or photography, try adding this to your first week of class - or even now, a few months into the year! It’s a quick, easy way to learn more about your students and help them understand themselves as visual creators.

You can try it yourself (and probably get hooked rearranging colors) right here:
👉 Take the X-Rite Hue Test

If you are looking for a quick understanding of Hex Codes and some games to go along with mastering those - check out this free resource!

PS - if you DO have students with color deficiency, it's also a great time to talk about how we can create design that is accessible and inclusive for ALL. I'll talk about that a bit more later.