QR Codes: Eyesore or Artwork?
Do this codes make you cringe? Are you uninspired by the seemingly identical little squares of black and white?
When faced with a rigid block of code, it is easy to feel boxed in and uninspired. The code has to be readable, after all. After creating a QR code, do you really want to risk messing it up?
The good news is that QR codes are actually very malleable and adaptable.
When adapting QR code technology into your business or a campaign, the first requirement is that it fits seamlessly into your brand and your designs. Despite blocky black and white code being very common, This codes are capable of so much more.
Before we dive in and get creative, let's cover the basics.
1. The squares of code can only be read if there is enough contrast between the €light' squares and the €dark' squares. They certainly don't have to be black and white, but contrast is important.
2. We are working with code, so if we play with it too much it will no longer scan. There is a certain level of creative freedom, however, as this coding utilises the Reed-Solomon error-correction algorithm (embed this into the text €Reed-Solomon error correction algorithm' during the coding process. This means that some squares of code can be unreadable, even removed altogether, and the code will still scan correctly. Graphic designers everywhere are very grateful to Mr Reed and Mr Solomon! Please note that the large corner pieces are compulsory, because they allow the scanner to locate and position the QR code for reading.
So now we know the rules, let's play!
The three simplest ways of adapting a this code are; colour, images and form.
Colour
Colour is one of the easiest ways to get creative with a code. Simply generate a this code via an online QR code maker, and then start playing!
Colour can be altered to make this code stand out, or fit within an advertising campaign style guide. Dom Perignon and SETQR have achieved both, with codes used this Andy Warhole tribute campaign. The champagne packaging came in three different colours (red, blue and yellow) each with a code that linked to a specially created mobile site. The code was carefully incorporated into the shape of the champagne's iconic label
The HBO TV show Boardwalk Empire took a different approach. Set amongst the nightclubs and speakeasies of 1920s New Jersey, the colour palette for both the program and its marketing material is characterised by sepia tones and the contrast of bright flashing bulbs against the velvety blackness of night.
When faced with a rigid block of code, it is easy to feel boxed in and uninspired. The code has to be readable, after all. After creating a QR code, do you really want to risk messing it up?
The good news is that QR codes are actually very malleable and adaptable.
When adapting QR code technology into your business or a campaign, the first requirement is that it fits seamlessly into your brand and your designs. Despite blocky black and white code being very common, This codes are capable of so much more.
Before we dive in and get creative, let's cover the basics.
1. The squares of code can only be read if there is enough contrast between the €light' squares and the €dark' squares. They certainly don't have to be black and white, but contrast is important.
2. We are working with code, so if we play with it too much it will no longer scan. There is a certain level of creative freedom, however, as this coding utilises the Reed-Solomon error-correction algorithm (embed this into the text €Reed-Solomon error correction algorithm' during the coding process. This means that some squares of code can be unreadable, even removed altogether, and the code will still scan correctly. Graphic designers everywhere are very grateful to Mr Reed and Mr Solomon! Please note that the large corner pieces are compulsory, because they allow the scanner to locate and position the QR code for reading.
So now we know the rules, let's play!
The three simplest ways of adapting a this code are; colour, images and form.
Colour
Colour is one of the easiest ways to get creative with a code. Simply generate a this code via an online QR code maker, and then start playing!
Colour can be altered to make this code stand out, or fit within an advertising campaign style guide. Dom Perignon and SETQR have achieved both, with codes used this Andy Warhole tribute campaign. The champagne packaging came in three different colours (red, blue and yellow) each with a code that linked to a specially created mobile site. The code was carefully incorporated into the shape of the champagne's iconic label
The HBO TV show Boardwalk Empire took a different approach. Set amongst the nightclubs and speakeasies of 1920s New Jersey, the colour palette for both the program and its marketing material is characterised by sepia tones and the contrast of bright flashing bulbs against the velvety blackness of night.
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