Skip to main content

QR Codes: My New Discovery


I've worked for several marketing and sales departments of different companies before. I thought I already know what there is to know about advertising, considering this is my major in college. But I was wrong. I am so outdated!

I was designing a catalogue for signature bags when a client asked me to put QR (Quick Response) code on the first inside page. I honestly haven't heard of that word yet so I asked our Creative Director and he explained and showed me an example. Funny how I end up using something I've noticed before but just ignored because I didn't know its use. It's like clicking a hotspot/link on a printed page when scanned using your phone's camera. How cool is that?


a newspaper ad with QR code

I've seen it first in international newspapers that I picked up from Dubai International Airport. And coming here, I always notice them on the product and sales ads in local newspapers, flyers and brochures. I just didn't know what they are for until eleven months after! Our Creative Director even told me it was used in Japan ages ago. So I am so late to the party, huh?


And here in KSA, the address plaques bear the building's QR code which when scanned shows your house's location in Wikimapia.

And for fun, I made my own and posted it on my sidebar. That QR code will (kinda) help guests visiting my blog on desktop to view it easily on their mobile. It may be redundant but as I've mentioned, this is just for fun.

And to those who want to join in on the fun, here's how to do it:
1. Go to any online QR code generating sites. I used Terry Burton.Co.UK.
2. Click on the QR Code option on the Symbology dropdown menu.
3. Put your blog's URL and click MAKE BARCODE.
4. Your QR Code will appear and you have the option to save the .EPS, .PNG or .JPEG file.
5. a: If you want it as it is, you may already add it on your blog using Layout > Add Gadget > Picture. Just add your blog's URL as link.
    b: If you want it colored, just trace using any vector/tracing programs like Adobe Illustrator and Coreldraw, or image editing programs like Adobe Photoshop. I think you can also trace and color it in Paint and save as JPEG.
    c: You may want to add your product, business name or blog's name inside the code. There are QR code generators which offer that option. But I did it manually. It was trial and error because there were squares that should not be replaced with other graphics such as texts.




Promotion materials look modern with colored QR codes.
For businesses, QR codes attract your market to your website especially if you have ongoing sale. (There are even QR code sites that monitor your website's traffic.) And for bloggers, one can give blog cards with QR codes in it.

QR Code scanners are available for download on Iphones and Google Play on Android phones.

It's never too late to update my knowledge on the latest trends. I'll just try to learn something new everyday. And be more observant of things around me every time.

Comments

  1. I always see this image but didn't have any idea what it really is. I hope I'm as techie as you are Beth, so I could create my own blog's QR Code (even only for fun). Thanks for sharing your discovery!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thanks ate beng, but I think it's better to use it when people are used to it or familiar about it there already. And if it is, just let me know. I will make one for you and color it also. :)

      Delete
  2. Hi, just curious where did you get the colorful QR code? Can you share the link to the generator?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Astronyu,
      As I've mentioned in my post, you can add colors to your QR code/s by using Photoshop or Illustrator. I just traced mu code using Photoshop.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Thanks for taking time to read my posts. l appreciate comments, if any. I would love to return the favor whenever possible. Have a nice day!

Popular posts from this blog

Star City, Riyadh

It's the start of Gabby and Sunday's vacation! And I'm back to the things that I always take for granted: reading and blogging. I've always looked forward to posting here but life has been a whirlwind for the past months. Gabby graduated from primary school and will be in high school this June. Yes, you read it right. I now have a high school kid. How time flies! I got so sick after that and was rushed to the ER and was given antibacterial medicines intravenously. But now, I'm back and raring to blog again. Before I post another event or place, let me just finish Sunday's field trip. Before their visit to Prince Salman Science Oasis , the kids went to Star City in Exit 9 first. We've been passing by this amusement park for the longest time and I am really curious as to what is inside it. Of course, I know there are rides. But what kind of rides? Are  abaya s taken off or women ride wearing it? These were the questions I had before entering the park. An

A Day in Baher Villas, Al Khobar

The school opened last June and the kids are now busy studying, doing homework and projects. I'm happy that I wouldn't have to think of things for my kids to do just like what I've said here . My kids love to go to beaches on their vacations from school. And because we didn't go to the Philippines this year, Fred and I thought of bringing them to a beach resort here to bust their boredom and change their environment even for just a day or two. After searching online and asking some friends, we went to Baher Villas in Al-Khobar. It is located in Half Moon Bay area and several hundred kilometers away from Riyadh. Going there was a risk we had to take because first, it would only be the four of us. If anything happens to us or on our car while on the road, there's no one to help us. Not like two years ago when we went there on a convoy. Second, we didn't know the way. We just relied on the GPS of our Android phone. And third, we didn't know what li

Almarai Dairy Farm and Factory Visit

Whenever I chat with my friend based in Abu Dhabi, I always ask her what she will cook for an upcoming occasion, and she would promptly send snapshots of dishes I only dream of cooking. And when I posted the photo of my husband and me on my Facebook account, with a short "A trip to Almarai Dairy Farm" caption, she commented that she and her partner like Almarai products especially the yogurt and fresh milk. That's when I realized that although we're miles apart, my friend and I still have something in common: we enjoy the same brand of milk and juice drinks. Almarai products are also my family's favorite. My kids like Almarai Fresh Milk so much that they can finish a liter in less than three hours. F gulps down an Almarai yogurt before he eats breakfast every day. I like the skimmed milk and the orange-carrot juice drink. I'm loyal to its cheese product line. So when I heard the Almarai Dairy Farm and Factory visit from friends who have been there s