Comments on: More fun with QR Codes and the BBC logo http://whomwah.com/2008/03/12/more-fun-with-qr-codes-and-the-bbc-logo/ I currently work as a web developer for BBC Audio and Music in London, Uk. Sat, 05 Jul 2008 16:02:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: Duncan Sample http://whomwah.com/2008/03/12/more-fun-with-qr-codes-and-the-bbc-logo/#comment-18811 Sun, 27 Apr 2008 23:39:55 +0000 http://whomwah.com/2008/03/12/more-fun-with-qr-codes-and-the-bbc-logo/#comment-18811 Thanks for the response. I agree with you too about the 'badge' design. It seemed to serve a purpose when I first pushed the idea in my blog post, but I do see how it just adds clutter. Ultimately I don't think this is going to be 'solved', since I think the placement of the barcodes should be such that no branding or additional 'help' is necessary to draw attention to them. What I want to get to is the point where these barcodes are accepted as part of everyday life, then they can become just another object on the page. I print media though, until phone camera macro modes become better they're not going to be able to be as small as I've seen in Japanese media, so they're going to stand out a little too much for daily use. Thanks for the response. I agree with you too about the ‘badge’ design. It seemed to serve a purpose when I first pushed the idea in my blog post, but I do see how it just adds clutter. Ultimately I don’t think this is going to be ’solved’, since I think the placement of the barcodes should be such that no branding or additional ‘help’ is necessary to draw attention to them.

What I want to get to is the point where these barcodes are accepted as part of everyday life, then they can become just another object on the page.

I print media though, until phone camera macro modes become better they’re not going to be able to be as small as I’ve seen in Japanese media, so they’re going to stand out a little too much for daily use.

]]> by: Duncan http://whomwah.com/2008/03/12/more-fun-with-qr-codes-and-the-bbc-logo/#comment-18416 Mon, 21 Apr 2008 09:46:48 +0000 http://whomwah.com/2008/03/12/more-fun-with-qr-codes-and-the-bbc-logo/#comment-18416 @Duncan, I actually agree, and we have been starting to look at re-writing the encoder to draw around the logo therefore keeping the error correction in-tact. This work stems off the fact the current encoder we have been using (http://qrcode.sourceforge.jp/) seems to possibly have a memory leak in it. This work so far is a kind of first pass, just understanding what a logos look like in QR Codes. In terms of 'designing' QR Codes, I don't personally like the badge ideas. I wasn't actually sure about the logo in the QR Code originally, until after playing I found it looked quite pleasant. Having to surround the code in more livery makes it more messy for me, especially when it comes to printing and viewing at small sizes. The BBC example works at all sizes because it keeps the pixels used to draw the logo at the same size as the ones used to draw the matrix. As soon as you surround the logo in text/images then unless they also match the resolution of the matrix, they don’t seem to work. Thanks for you comments by the way :) @Duncan, I actually agree, and we have been starting to look at re-writing the encoder to draw around the logo therefore keeping the error correction in-tact. This work stems off the fact the current encoder we have been using (http://qrcode.sourceforge.jp/) seems to possibly have a memory leak in it. This work so far is a kind of first pass, just understanding what a logos look like in QR Codes.

In terms of ‘designing’ QR Codes, I don’t personally like the badge ideas. I wasn’t actually sure about the logo in the QR Code originally, until after playing I found it looked quite pleasant. Having to surround the code in more livery makes it more messy for me, especially when it comes to printing and viewing at small sizes. The BBC example works at all sizes because it keeps the pixels used to draw the logo at the same size as the ones used to draw the matrix. As soon as you surround the logo in text/images then unless they also match the resolution of the matrix, they don’t seem to work.

Thanks for you comments by the way :)

]]> by: Duncan Sample http://whomwah.com/2008/03/12/more-fun-with-qr-codes-and-the-bbc-logo/#comment-18348 Sat, 19 Apr 2008 17:20:11 +0000 http://whomwah.com/2008/03/12/more-fun-with-qr-codes-and-the-bbc-logo/#comment-18348 Although I do like the design you've made, I wince a bit when I look at the QRCode being 'obscured' by the logo. As you say, the error correction in QRCodes are robust, but it is robust for the reason that they may be damaged in normal use, and I'm afraid that if people start to do as you suggest and put designs within the barcode itself (and for me that includes background colour differences) it will take the error correction effectiveness from 30% to nearly zero (or even create damanged if they're not careful). I have wondered for a while how people might 'design' with QRCodes, but the best way I have thought of (that observes the guidelines for QRCode creation) is to design around the barcode to create a 'badge' (an example of one very basic design is on <a href="http://sample.org.uk/blog/?action=post&#38;post=mobile_barcode_formats_review" rel="nofollow">my blog post about 2D barcode formats</a>) I'd be interested to talk more about how the BBC is using QRCodes. Although I do like the design you’ve made, I wince a bit when I look at the QRCode being ‘obscured’ by the logo. As you say, the error correction in QRCodes are robust, but it is robust for the reason that they may be damaged in normal use, and I’m afraid that if people start to do as you suggest and put designs within the barcode itself (and for me that includes background colour differences) it will take the error correction effectiveness from 30% to nearly zero (or even create damanged if they’re not careful).

I have wondered for a while how people might ‘design’ with QRCodes, but the best way I have thought of (that observes the guidelines for QRCode creation) is to design around the barcode to create a ‘badge’ (an example of one very basic design is on
my blog post about 2D barcode formats)

I’d be interested to talk more about how the BBC is using QRCodes.

]]> by: BBC Logo in QR Code http://whomwah.com/2008/03/12/more-fun-with-qr-codes-and-the-bbc-logo/#comment-17771 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 20:02:04 +0000 http://whomwah.com/2008/03/12/more-fun-with-qr-codes-and-the-bbc-logo/#comment-17771 [...] Duncan Robertson is the software engineer that worked on the QR codes for BBC Programmes Beta. He now reports on work in progress on incorporating the BBC logo into QR codes. This is made possible due to error correction code written into the QR Code encoder that allows up to 30% deterioration of a QR Code while remaining readable. The QR code below decodes as http://bbc.co.uk/programmes [...] […] Duncan Robertson is the software engineer that worked on the QR codes for BBC Programmes Beta. He now reports on work in progress on incorporating the BBC logo into QR codes. This is made possible due to error correction code written into the QR Code encoder that allows up to 30% deterioration of a QR Code while remaining readable. The QR code below decodes as http://bbc.co.uk/programmes […]

]]> by: Duncan http://whomwah.com/2008/03/12/more-fun-with-qr-codes-and-the-bbc-logo/#comment-17286 Wed, 19 Mar 2008 11:38:16 +0000 http://whomwah.com/2008/03/12/more-fun-with-qr-codes-and-the-bbc-logo/#comment-17286 @Kim, that's exactly the idea, and thanks for the link. @Kim, that’s exactly the idea, and thanks for the link.

]]> by: Kim http://whomwah.com/2008/03/12/more-fun-with-qr-codes-and-the-bbc-logo/#comment-17261 Tue, 18 Mar 2008 20:02:34 +0000 http://whomwah.com/2008/03/12/more-fun-with-qr-codes-and-the-bbc-logo/#comment-17261 Nice stuff! So - the QR code could appear in print publicity for the show, and take you directly to watch on the programme page? You might be interested in this, by the way: http://www.memespring.co.uk/stickers/ Nice stuff! So - the QR code could appear in print publicity for the show, and take you directly to watch on the programme page?

You might be interested in this, by the way:

http://www.memespring.co.uk/stickers/

]]> by: Justice http://whomwah.com/2008/03/12/more-fun-with-qr-codes-and-the-bbc-logo/#comment-17259 Tue, 18 Mar 2008 16:50:36 +0000 http://whomwah.com/2008/03/12/more-fun-with-qr-codes-and-the-bbc-logo/#comment-17259 QR Code Streetwear!!! http://www.loadedbarcoded.com w00t! QR Code Streetwear!!!

http://www.loadedbarcoded.com

w00t!

]]> by: herval http://whomwah.com/2008/03/12/more-fun-with-qr-codes-and-the-bbc-logo/#comment-17240 Mon, 17 Mar 2008 17:47:14 +0000 http://whomwah.com/2008/03/12/more-fun-with-qr-codes-and-the-bbc-logo/#comment-17240 Interesting piece of customization... ...what about a BBC ShotCode? http://www.shotcode.com/shotcode/png?c=df8476072bc1&#38;s=400 <a href="http://www.shotcode.com/shotcode/png?c=df8476072bc1&#38;s=400" rel="nofollow"> </a> Interesting piece of customization…

…what about a BBC ShotCode? http://www.shotcode.com/shotcode/png?c=df8476072bc1&s=400

]]> by: Duncan http://whomwah.com/2008/03/12/more-fun-with-qr-codes-and-the-bbc-logo/#comment-17123 Wed, 12 Mar 2008 22:53:16 +0000 http://whomwah.com/2008/03/12/more-fun-with-qr-codes-and-the-bbc-logo/#comment-17123 Thanks Dan .. Thanks Dan ..

]]> by: fabricoffolly http://whomwah.com/2008/03/12/more-fun-with-qr-codes-and-the-bbc-logo/#comment-17119 Wed, 12 Mar 2008 22:07:38 +0000 http://whomwah.com/2008/03/12/more-fun-with-qr-codes-and-the-bbc-logo/#comment-17119 Nice work Duncan - love it! Nice work Duncan - love it!

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