Why QR code designers need to ensure the quality of their designs
Quick response codes have nearly saturated the marketing and advertising landscape. Many people have seen these square-shaped designs printed on any number of promotional items, from bulk mailers to billboards to digital ads.
Businesses have benefited from these geometrical coded shapes by transforming a two-dimensional space into an experience that incorporates technology like smartphones equipped with QR code readers that lead consumers to another medium. This can include websites that offer exclusive deals or information that compels users to interact with a brand. QR codes have long been integrated into Web-to-print solutions for companies aiming to develop greater engagement with their customers, but recent research suggests companies should be careful when designing branded QR codes.
The Digital Nirvana, a weekly digital print blog, indicated a study conducted by Ohio University's Automatic Identification and Data Capture Lab demonstrated QR codes are sensitive to changes to color, distorted cell structures within the design and an addition of a brand-specific symbol. The designs are fairly robust, allowing for 30 percent degradation - meaning parts of the codes can be changed or removed - while still maintaining readability. Consequently, designers have quite a bit of leeway when creating unique branded QR codes, but there are limits to creativity in this enterprise.