Chapter 1: Statement of Purpose and Core Values
As Chief Editor of Hued, my mission is to help players engage more deeply with the world of color. Through careful selection, cultural research, and attention to accuracy, each puzzle is designed to build perceptual awareness and make room for discovery.
Color in the digital age is complex. Screens vary, lighting shifts, and perception changes from one moment to the next.
These challenges are acknowledged but not used as excuses. The goal remains to present colors that are clear, credible, and grounded in both observation and context.
Trust is essential. Players deserve to know that the color presented each day has been selected with thoughtfulness, consistency, and independence. While subjective differences are expected, the guiding standard is integrity: every player, regardless of background or device, should feel they were given a reasonable and engaging challenge.
These standards offer a framework for that commitment. Not every decision is straightforward. There are tradeoffs between precision and recognizability, between scientific measurement and cultural familiarity. In such cases, one test helps guide the outcome:
If a fair-minded player could see the full process, including the references consulted, the variants considered, and the reasoning behind the final choice, would that increase their confidence, or lead to doubt?
When a decision does not meet that standard, it is reconsidered.
Chapter 2: Editorial Criteria for Color Selection
Hued is first and foremost a game. The intention is to offer players a daily puzzle that invites curiosity, attention, and the satisfaction of narrowing in on a specific hue.
Editorial decisions are shaped by this goal. Each color is chosen not only for its accuracy, but for its capacity to offer a fair and rewarding challenge. The scoring system reflects this approach: it is not designed to punish but to highlight moments of growth. A low scoring guess is not a failure, but a signal to look more closely at the puzzle.
Color choices aim to strike a balance between approachability and difficulty. Some puzzles may appear immediately recognizable, while others require a second look. Both types are necessary. Together, they support a daily rhythm of training the eye and expanding the range of color perception.
Hued does not aim for perfectionism or academic detachment. The goal is to reflect the way people encounter color in the world.
Every effort is made to ensure that the color shown in each puzzle reflects a reasonable and supportable choice. Multiple references are consulted. Photographs are reviewed across a range of lighting conditions. When available, scientific tools such as spectrophotometers are used to establish representative values.
Colors selected for Hued must be validated as accurate or typical at least a majority of the time. In other words, the color presented should reasonably reflect what players are likely to encounter when they think of the object or reference in question.
Mistakes do happen. If a selected color is found to be misleading, poorly sourced, or misaligned with its intended reference, a correction may be issued. These corrections are made judiciously, and typically only in clear-cut cases. Disagreement alone does not constitute error.
Color references are drawn from a wide range of sources, including photographs, scientific data, color guides, cultural materials, and player feedback. Single sources are never used in isolation. Images are reviewed for consistency and color balance where needed. When helpful, tools such as the Pantone Matching System are used to triangulate approximate values.
Priority is given to how a color appears in the contexts where it is most commonly encountered. A flower seen in bloom, an object in typical daylight, or a material under known conditions will carry more weight than unusual or manipulated examples.
Colors carry cultural meaning. A single hue may evoke different associations across regions, communities, and histories. When puzzles reference culturally significant colors, care is taken to represent those hues as they are understood within their originating context.
Whenever possible, editorial decisions are informed by reputable sources, experts, or lived cultural knowledge.
In some instances, an individual player’s personal context for a color may diverge significantly from that color’s authentic origin. A notable example is wasabi: while most people associate this color with the bright green paste served at sushi restaurants, genuine wasabi root produces a much more subdued green hue. The familiar bright green typically comes from food-dyed horseradish and mustard.
In such cases where popular perception conflicts with historical accuracy, I prioritize the most authentic representation of the color that can be reliably documented. This editorial choice supports the game’s mission to serve as an educational tool. Players discover not just the nuance of color matching, but the fascinating context behind a color’s origin.
The goal is not to frustrate players with unexpected results, but to honor the true chromatic history of the colors we feature.
Chapter 3: Editorial Independence and Disclosure
Editors, like all individuals, have personal tastes. Guardrails are in place to ensure that color choices reflect credible references, not aesthetic bias. Personal preference is never considered sufficient justification for a selection.
Hued is an independent project created by Jacob Tippett, a single Chief Editor sharing his love for color with the world.
Currently, Hued maintains complete independence from display technology companies, color equipment manufacturers, and color standards organizations. We have no financial interests that could compromise our editorial judgment, though we remain open to partnerships that could enhance the player experience without compromising our standards.
We do not currently receive compensation, products, or other benefits from color manufacturers, though we would welcome such relationships if they serve our mission of chromatic education. Any future partnerships will be disclosed transparently to our audience.
Suggestions from friends, family, and the Hued community are welcomed. Final decisions rest with the editor alone.
Chapter 4: Technical Standards
Hued uses the HSL color space for internal reference and converts colors to RGB for display. Because colors can render differently across screens, efforts are made to ensure consistency within a reasonable tolerance across common devices.
All colors are reviewed on calibrated displays. Ambient light, viewing conditions, and display types are taken into account during testing. While no single color can look identical on every screen, selections are validated to fall within expected appearance ranges for the majority of players.
Chapter 5: Feedback Evaluation and Corrections Policy
Every comment, critique, or concern from players is taken seriously. Disagreement is not dismissed, and follow-up is never treated lightly. Open conversation is a central part of this editorial process.
I welcome player feedback and complaints about color selections, though I maintain editorial independence in my final decisions. Systematic patterns of player disagreement may prompt review of my methodology, but individual complaints alone do not warrant color changes.
Players who provide constructive feedback, photographic evidence, or cultural context that enhances my understanding of specific colors contribute to the ongoing refinement of my editorial standards.
Any player who reaches out with a thoughtful question or observation can expect a thoughtful response in return. Feedback helps refine future puzzles and sometimes reshapes existing assumptions. Color is subjective, but the conversation around it can be rigorous, respectful, and productive.
This ongoing dialogue is a key part of Hued’s integrity and a standing invitation for players to take part in the process of looking closely and thinking critically about color.
While I do not reveal the specific daily color in advance, I maintain transparency about my general methodology and standards. Players deserve to understand the rigor behind my color selections, even if they disagree with specific choices.
I will consider publishing corrections in extraordinary circumstances where overwhelming evidence suggests my color selection was inaccurate or culturally inappropriate. However, disagreement with a color choice does not automatically constitute grounds for correction.
Chapter 6: Editorial Independence
No external pressure, whether from players, industry partners, cultural groups, or personal relationships, will compromise my commitment to chromatic truth. My editorial decisions serve only the mission of accurate color representation, player education, and most importantly: fun.
These standards may be updated periodically to reflect technological advances and evolving best practices in color science, but my fundamental commitment to accuracy, independence, and fun remains unchanged.
Sincerely,
Jacob Tippett
Chief Editor & Creator, Hued
Three guesses. One new color every day. Can you match the hue?
The Daily Color Puzzle