QR stands for 'Quick Response', which is exactly what these codes do. By scanning a QR code with your mobile phone (most mobile phones either have this app built in or you can download an app that does so) and the code gives you a link and sends you to anything the creator wants. Usually it is website content, videos, images and even competitions.
QR codes were first developed for car manufacturers to identify parts quickly and efficiently, but it has now become a world wide advertising and communicating mechanism for everyone with portable devices. QR codes can be found anywhere and everywhere, as these examples show:
I know... They are literally the craziest examples I could find. I mean, I wonder what that guy has left for people to watch or listen to on his gravestone? Crazy.
Anyway, QR codes are a big part of modern day and so the class was set a mini brief to use them effectively in various locations. They had to create 5 QR codes and have the content all link together in some way; fiction and non-fiction could be used to tell stories of the locations. It was also encouraged that there should be additional content with the QR codes such as images, videos, narration, sounds and even emails.
The idea that I would have come up with if I was able to attend the session would have been as follows:
I would have used the Liverpool Catholic Cathedral for my location (it is near the university building and was also one of the suggested locations in the handout). I would go for something that was based on real life facts about the cathedral; so I would create QR codes that linked to internet facts and possibly images and videos explaining the history of the cathedral.
I would have used the Liverpool Catholic Cathedral for my location (it is near the university building and was also one of the suggested locations in the handout). I would go for something that was based on real life facts about the cathedral; so I would create QR codes that linked to internet facts and possibly images and videos explaining the history of the cathedral.
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Ideally, as I have seen it done before, I would have liked to spray paint the QR codes in and around the cathedral because I think this gives them a more permanent feel over a piece of paper stuck to a wall. However, I do realise that this would be classed as graffiti and so paper would have to do for this small project!
I would start outside the Cathedral, having a QR code near the entrance that gives a general informative sound byte for the user to listen about the origins of the cathedral, its original designs by Welby Pugin and its mismatched history of development with contributors such as Sir Edward Lutyen. I would also accompany this verbal information with images of the original designs and historical photographs.
Just inside the cathedral, I would have another QR code which would link to a YouTube video of the interior of the building, the ceiling and all of the surrounding tapestries. The video would have a voice over which talks about the shape and scale of the cathedral and the unusual round seating arrangements for mass and other celebrations.
After this I would have a QR code that is repeated along all of the pews/seats in the cathedral. This would link to the events page on the cathedral website so that people can discover what the cathedral has to offer. Here is that page just at a glimpse:
For the 4th QR code I would have this in the studio of art department where all of the hangings, banners, vestments and other church nostalgia are repaired and hung. This QR code would have images of all the collection that belongs to cathedral with small annotations of text to explain who they were made by/for, what they depict, etc.
The last of my 5 QR codes would go in the Golden Book office. This is the place where donations can be made to the cathedral and people have family and friends remembered eternally as benefactors in the Golden Book. This QR code would give information about this process and also the opening times of the office in which to donate and add names. Ideally if this project was part of the cathedral itself, I would have this final QR code added to the leaflets that they give out daily or have in the cafe and gift shop.
I don't think I would use QR codes for my final piece in this module because I feel like they are limited in creativity except for the locations you could possibly put them. I fully understand how they could be part of a larger project however and so may look in to incorporating them in to my advertisements or posters for my final Production Project.
I am sad to have missed this session because I would have liked to go out and physically do this project as it was only in 1 day and a nice little addition to my list of finished projects. However I hope the idea I came up with was good enough and that you can imagine what it would be like if I had actually created it!
Speak Soon!
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