The wonders of QR codes design

In this post I will attempt to make a different and more appealing QR code linking to my blog.

About six month ago I was working with a Danish educational institution, making flyers, poster and signs directing young people to their facebook page. Back then we were suffering from high time pressure and even though I had read a bit about the options for pepping up the QR codes we unfortunately never got to try out the process.
So what better way to spend a late Saturday evening, than to test my skills. Perhaps I'm a master at it!?!
The test will show...

First I Google a few articles about the matter and find what I'm looking for at mashable.com.
It appears rather simple, if you know you're way around Photoshop, but the article mentions something about 0%, 10%, 20% and 30% error rate...?


So I go to a QR generator at smartytags.com and register as a free user. The website offers statistics etc. that might come in handy in case I ever find a client who would like some prof of result.

I copy/paste my URL from this blog and downloads my new QR code in the largest possible scale.
I opene up Photoshop and import the picture.

My plan is to soften the edges, change the colour, but keep the white background and add some sort of brand into the QR code. Later I will try to put the finished QR code into a more interesting setting than the usual boring square white box you see everywhere these days.

*Bonus: This btw reminds me of a great combination of print and online advertisement, I once saw in a magazine: AXA brings print ads to life
 

While I tweak the original QR code image, I test it from time to time with my smart phone, so to make sure that I don't overstep my graphic liberties.
I decided to try out the whole range of options, that I could come up with and deleted around 10% of the original image, then I coloured some of the black fields so the Space Invader appears inside the QR code.
My smart phones QR Droid can easily read the code so I add depth and texture to the image. The phone still easily scans the code so I put the image into a context and chose to take and old tv with noise on the screen. Here the phone got challenged, so I brightened the background behind the QR code and the image was done. Later I think I will make a tetris version as well :)

I have unfortunately deactivated this link but the effect remains

Try if you can scan my QR code and now imagine you made a QR code cake and send it to someone. Linking to the online message you wanna send. Your CV to a new company for example or creating awareness of a campaign, as I was part of when I worked as a project coordinator in Par No 1 A/S.


If you have a good and creative idea for implementation of QR codes, your welcome to share it here.

Update! (11-10-2011)
Be aware:
Malicious QR Codes Pushing Android Malware http://www.securelist.com/en/blog/208193145/Malicious_QR_Codes_Pushing_Android_Malware

Thank you for reading my blog.
Jonas Hedegaard Nielsen