Ask someone to describe the appearance of a QR code and the most common answer you’re likely to get is, “A square with a random black and white pattern.” While this is accurate of most QR codes and part of its current brand and image, this is slowly changing among advertisers and graphic designers. The truth is the original design of the QR code was never meant to visually appeal to you as a consumer. This lies in its original purpose—to tag parts in the Japanese automobile industry to keep track of where they are going and where they have been. This utilitarian purpose is reflected in its design—simple and square.
The Rub
For some companies, this simplicity works out well in their advertising—they want to create an eye-catching design, and sometimes the clashing addition of a black and white QR code will catch your eye and make you more likely to scan it. But there are designers out there who lament the monochrome stamp as it sticks out and can disrupt the flow of the display they want to create. There’s also the rise in the ubiquity of QR codes in advertising, which results in consumers being awash with black and white QR codes and losing their attention. The eyes of consumers are becoming used to QR codes, especially since they all look fairly similar, the probability they will scan a particular code is dropping.
The Solution
This is where technology and design have come together for a solution. Custom QR codes can now be created for the purpose of being a more aesthetically pleasing, but functional way to get that customer’s scan. There are several aspects that can be customized. The overall shape of the code, while it still needs to be a square, can appear to be more dynamic in its lines or curvature. You can also specify the overall inner pattern to a degree.And there isthe color component, where the patterning can be changed to match the color scheme of the overall display. You can even now add a background image like a logo to make the QR code more cohesive and part of the design, not simply an addition. The QR code is now more iconic than disposable, and likely to last in people’s memory.
The Catch
Creating custom QR codes is significantly more complicated than generating standard black and white ones. This is because QR codes are visual information converted into alphanumeric data by a scanning application, and alternations to the visual component could disrupt the data integrity of the code. To integrate non standard visuals with a QR pattern requires a different kind of generator that is capable of customizing the final appearance of the QR code. This is most likely why you haven’t seen many custom QR codes in advertising, but the trend is beginning to catch on.
Just as the first QR codes caught the eye of consumers because they stood out, QR codes that now integrate color and visuals will stand above the rest. The QR code is a true achievement in functionality and simplicity, but now the latter is being traded in for more flair and style in today’s design world.
