Tagged: qr codes

A Small QR Tip

One of my hobbies is looking for QR codes by leafing through the free papers which blight the city of London. Yes, I lead a tragic existence, but it keeps me off the streets - so let me be, eh?

Most of the QR codes that I see now are pretty good. They have clear explanatory text, point to mobile websites, and generally follow the Ten Commandments for QR codes.

But, every so often I spot one which really shouldn't have been let out in the wild. A property company (who shall remain nameless to spare their blushes) printed this QR code at the bottom of an advert - beside the logos showing how green and ISO compliant they are.

Very Small QR Printing Nail

Wow! It's not that I have monster-sized fingers - that QR code really is tiny.

Let's zoom in and take a look at what the newspaper printing process has done to the code.

Very Small QR Printing

As we can see, the printing resolution just isn't sufficient for a code as tiny as this. The fragile pixels become an inconsistent mess, straight lines go wobbly, and the ink bleeds into the whitespace.

QR codes need unambiguous pixels with a clear delineation between content and space. Lines need to be straight, squares need to be square, and the contrast between colours needs to be high. This QR code fails on all levels.

Even if this code had been laser printed onto premium white paper, it would still be too small for many cameras to scan. It would require a macro focus that is lacking in all but high end devices.

One of the most important rules of QR codes is simply "test". This code just doesn't work. It could lead to the greatest mobile experience known to humanity - but if a user can't actually get to it, all is for naught.

Why QR Codes Are Perfect For The Internet of Things

My first QR code post of 2013!

I'm a long term fan of QR codes. I know some people don't like the idea of augmenting reality with specific tags for computer vision - but I do. Some people prefer RFID/NFC. Others still prefer dedicated augmented video apps.

As I've written many times before, QR codes have several substantial advantages over alternate technologies.

  • QR is a free and open standard.
  • Compatible with every phone with a camera.
  • No need to build or use a dedicated app.
  • Free to generate.

Today, in the canteen, I think I have found the quintessential example of just how radical the open simplicity of QR codes is.
Salt and Pepper QR Codes

Tiny sachets of salt an pepper. Created in their millions. Given away for free the world over. Each stamped with a unique ID which can be recognised easily by a computer.

For scale, this is how small they are.
Pepper pack with QR code

Now, I'll be the first to admit that a website about salt is not the most riveting thing in the world. But that's exactly the point!
Salt Website The costs associated with setting this up are close to zero. Amortized over every sachet it's probably less than the cost of a grain of salt.

There's no opportunity cost lost - what else could you stick on the side of a packet that small?

I like the fact that I can instantly see nutritional information and can certainly see it being more useful on larger items. But, again, that's the point. QR codes are free - so you might as well stick them on everything.

It's this dual freedom - free to generate and free to print - which makes QR codes ubiquitous.

The main problem with NFC (aside from lack of readers, inability for a user to tell a tag is present, proximity needed, etc) is cost. Even bought in bulk, those little RFID chips have a price. Buying 20,000 of them to stick on salt packets is an extravagance an unlikely to see any ROI to offset the cost of buying the chips and changing the manufacturing process to incorporate them. Not to mention that the chips can't be recycled easily.

QR Codes? Black ink. If you're already printing onto a surface, QR codes don't require any retooling or any equipment purchases.

I know that in our modern world we often strive for technical excellence, innovation, and quality. However, where there are two relatively compatible technologies, it is usually the cheaper technology which wins.

In many of the more relaxed civilizations on the Outer Eastern Rim of the Galaxy, the Hitchhiker's Guide has already supplanted the great Encyclopaedia Galactica as the standard repository of all knowledge and wisdom, for though it has many omissions and contains much that is apocryphal, or at least wildly inaccurate, it scores over the older, more pedestrian work in two important respects. First, it is slightly cheaper; and second, it has the words "DON'T PANIC" inscribed in large friendly letters on its cover.
—Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

The Internet of Things will be powered - in part - by QR codes. Try not to get too upset about it.

Why You Should Make Your QR Codes Unique

Wandering around the steets of London, I came across this excellent initiative from Camden Council on how to use QR codes on street furniture.

If you see that a light - or anything else - is damaged, you can scan the QR code and report the issue. There's even a phone number and vanilla URL for those who aren't quite up to speed with new technology.
QR Code Lamp-Post

There's only one slight issue - the QR code points to this site.
Reporting Form

The fact that the landing page isn't mobile friendly is bad enough, but what's worse is that they completely fail to take advantage of sending the user to a precise URL.

What should happen is that the URL should be something like

http://qr.camden.gov.uk/light/22

There are two solid reasons for doing this.

  1. It saves the user time - take them directly to where they need to go.
  2. You can track where users are scanning your codes.

QR codes are free to generate, and cheap to print. You don't need to be stuck in the old way of thinking about how you link the physical world to the digital world.

Imagine if, after scanning, the user was told "You're reporting street light 22 (Bedford Square) as broken. Click here to confirm."
And then, perhaps, on the next page "We'd like to stay in touch with you - please enter your details here." which could even be a Facebook / Twitter login.

As the owner of the QR, you can see exactly where and when people are scanning - at the moment, all the council knows is that one of the thousands of QR codes was scanned, but not which one.

It also means that users don't have to fiddle around on their phone's screen too much in order to report a problem. At the moment, they have to navigate through a complex site, fill in a form, and then hope they remembered which number street lamp was busted.

It could be as simple as scan - click - done. A win for users, and a nice set of analytics to monitor.

The Silliest QR Code I've Seen

I unashamedly love QR Codes. But every so often, I see one which makes me wonder if there should be some sort of licence for creating them :-)

As I was walking around Camden the other day, I spotted this monstrosity.

I figured with a code that dense, it probable contained a URL to a rubbish iPhone app, or perhaps a link stuffed full of tracking parameters.

Still, what the heck, I scanned it.

Silly QR

What's the bloody point in that?

Here's a guide on "How Not To Screw Up With QR Codes" which I presented at TeaCamp earlier this year.