On the heels of news that Google will no longer be supporting QR codes, many have written off the small, black and white boxes as a thing of the past. While there is no doubting Google’s influence in the various industries it operates, those free of corporate ties are putting the codes to good use, seemingly unaware that any big name companies have shrugged off the technology. Such is the case with Rio Akasaka, a Master’s student at Stanford.
Akasaka has launched a new website that makes use of QR codes named, justnear.me. The site is a content delivery platform that helps users find relevant social data based on their geographical settings. Users can generate QR codes that are attributed with integral information, which will then allow them to interact with people that have visited those locations before.
The codes have been used in museums, college campuses, cafes and other social gatherings to some success. People’s interest in them certainly has not wavered. Many are still intrigued by the unfamiliar designs. Akasaka hopes that using the codes as a type of social networking device will help drive awareness and thereby the popularity of the codes.
Advertisers have yet to shy away from the codes, as they continue to use them in campaigns targeting the tech-savvy crowd. They are proving to be very useful for enterprising individuals seeking to garner a creative edge over the competition. And therein lies the possible future of the codes themselves.
Before Google discontinued their support, the codes were largely considered a technological wonder – a tool that could change the marketing landscape forever. Now, they seem to have more appeal with the creative crowd. The codes are increasingly finding use with artists and musicians rather than marketers.
Whatever the future holds for QR codes, Akasaka hopes that they will be around for a long while yet.