Do you suffer from unattractive QR Codes?
Were you even aware that QR Codes could be considered unattractive and thus have the potential to be made more beautiful? And were you also aware that something can be done about it?
Alright, so maybe not ever company’s website needs to have their QR Codes beautified, but there are businesses out there that are more visually-oriented, and having attractive QR Codes, whether in posters, handouts, or online, is a benefit. That’s where Aestethicodes comes in.
Aestheticodes Explained
Aestheticodes is a new company that has come about as a result of a joint project that teamed up designers and computer scientists. They worked under the aegis of Horizon Digital Economy research Institute at The University of Nottingham, UK. Bottom line, they design beautiful, appealing images and incorporate QR Codes into them. They are continue to research new developments in the world of electronic information and computing technology, then implementing the innovations in their clients’ projects.
The Art of Beautiful QR Codes
Rather than relying on the traditional checkerboard-like configuration of the traditional QR Codes, Aestheticodes transforms the codes into attractive images while retaining the readability of the code itself. This way, a decorative pattern on a poster or handout may contain the QR Code needed in order to get more information on the product or service in question.
The images and motifs featured follow a set of topographical rules that enables them to be used as QR Codes, while still presenting themselves as aesthetically pleasing artwork. Picture, if you will, a surfing-related business using an aestheticode that’s cleverly worked into an image of a big wave, or a clothing store having the QR Code embedded in an image of swirling fabric. The creative possibilities are endless, and can easily be tailored to fit the individual business’ tone and flavor.
Of Course, There’s An App For It
An app is downloaded to a smart device in order to scan the aestheticodes and obtain the desired information. The app looks for the image’s topography rather than scanning the entire image. All of this is accomplished without losing any of the functionality of the QR Code. The app is currently available online.
The Future Looks Beautiful
As the technology continues to develop and the concept of beautiful images carrying QR Codes catches on with the business sector, we just may be witnessing the next generation of QR Code innovation being born before our very eyes. If its popularity increases enough, we may actually see the end of the blocky old QR Codes and instead give our eyes an artistic treat while the smart phone app decodes the proper information.
When you get right down to it, there’s nothing inherently wrong with the old QR Codes. But if you have a business that wants to offer more information via a QR Code and yet maintain a certain artistic appeal, making the material easy on the eye, the aestheticode technology may be just what you’ve been waiting for.
Byline: John Terra has been a freelance writer since 1985.