They’re Ugly! They’re Ugly! Their Mama Says They’re Ugly!
We need to talk about QR codes.
I know I’m a weirdo. I’m starting from that premise when I say that I do not like QR codes. To start: They’re ugly. They are never going to match a theme, except maybe in color.
While I have increasingly come to appreciate form as well as function, the ugliness of QR codes is not my main issue.
I hope you’ll take a few minutes to think about how you’re using QRs, and how you might be impeding access to information.
Problem #1: Phone Keyboards (And My Fingers)
Not too long ago I was in a large meeting room. A VERY important slide deck of resources was shared. And the only access point was a QR code.
Friends, that’s not okay.
I like taking notes. And I have fat fingers. Trying to thumb type on a phone touchscreen just doesn’t work for me. Even the best autocorrect in the world can’t make sense of the results of my meat paws smashing multiple keys at a time on a teeny virtual keyboard.
So I need a way to access information through my computer. This is one way QR codes are a metaphorical rock in my metaphorical shoe. For folks on computers, QR codes are not user-friendly.
Solution: We need to give the overly-wide-fingered among us options for accessing information using actual, real keyboards.
In Praise Of Short Links
There are SO MANY link shortening tools and services in the world. Whether you use TinyURL or Bitly or something else, it’s just as easy to make a short link as it is to make a QR code.
And most link shorteners let you customize the back half of the link. This lets you create a name for your link, something the audience can remember and use to access your shared material without having to dig through a camera roll to find a picture of a QR code that may not have any context clues around it to help you know what that QR code even goes to.
Short links don’t rely on having a QR scanner built into your device. They work just as well on a phone as on a computer. And, unlike a QR code, if you don’t get your phone out fast enough, you can still recall and enter a short link.
Yes, they are case-sensitive. That’s easy enough to deal with – just go all upper- or lowercase letters. Or, if you mix ‘em, make sure you remind the audience about case sensitivity. I usually include a blurb that states the short link in words with spaces – making it easier to quickly read and grasp – followed by “This is case-sensitive.”
Pro Tip: You can also embed the short link into the margin of the master slide so it’s visible on every slide, saving you from having to repeatedly explain that, yes, the link to the slides will be available after the presentation.
Real big QR code. Read bit short link, spelled out. Short link embedded in the margin. Clear QR, short link, can’t lose!
Problem #2: Size DOES Matter
See if this sounds familiar:
You’re in a conference session. Someone puts a QR code up on the screen. And people from the back start jumping up and running to the front so they can scan the QR because it’s too small for their phones to resolve from 30 feet away.
QR codes are actually pretty fascinating, from a technology standpoint. But they rely on the QR code having blocks large enough for a scanner to resolve. That’s easy when the code is right in front of you on a screen. But when the QR is on a screen in a large room, between lighting and size issues, QR codes become a point of failure.
Solution: If you’re using QR codes, make sure they’re HUGE.
I usually dedicate the second slide in my presentation to the largest QR I can fit on the screen. And even then, I have folks making the trek from the back of the room, because projector resolution is only so good, and lighting conditions are rarely excellent in larger rooms.
HUGE QR code.
Large, easy to remember short link.
Short link embedded in the margin.
This is the way.
“Yes, And…”
I recently went on an anti-QR code rant on Bluesky. The awesome Martha Hickson and the wonderful Rain Smith both pointed out that they may have their place in the world.
As information professionals, we should always strive to offer multiple points of access to the information in our keeping.
So if you’re doing a QR code, PLEASE, for the love of all that is holy, make sure you also include a short link. That way, the savages and the slim-fingered can navigate on their phone via the Minotaur’s maze that is the QR, while the enlightened and rugged-fingered have the ability to use their computers to access information like civilized folk.
I kid. But for a profession that works hard to provide accessibility options, QR codes alone are simply not enough.
What Did I Miss?
I am sure there are elements of accessibility I’m missing here. Please help fill my knowledge gaps with your wisdom in the comments below!
Thank you. This was very helpful and confirmed what I was feeling about the tiny QR code I was about to put on a bookmark design without a short link.
I will not do this now. :)
My old phone did not scan QR codes; I couldn’t figure out why. I would get so frustrated when I would go someplace (a restaurant, someplace to register) and all they would have is a QR code. People would try to teach me HOW to do it, which I knew – my phone was just being anti-QR. There needs to be options.
I also hate menus as QR codes. My kid doesn’t have a phone and wants to look at a menu; it makes ordering longer and we try to not use phones at a table. Annoying.
Mr. Tetreault, I wholly concur! I read this article thinking “I wonder who this genius is, and low and behold a fellow teacher! I should have known! Well, my fat fingers concur wholeheartedly! Thank you!” Nell Fleming – Librarian, Wisconsin School for the Deaf.
8OHD – I’m sure your bookmark recipients will appreciate having the option to type a link or scan a code!
Cherie – Yes! Accessibility often depends on the technology of the user. In general, I think it’s a good philosophy to offer more points of access rather than less when it comes to sharing information. QR codes have uses, but having them as the ONLY gateway to information is creating barriers for at least some, if not many, users. Adding a short link doesn’t take much space, time, or effort; so why not give users both?
Also, restaurants, I don’t want to download your menu to my phone, nor do I want to give you access to my phone via an app. Just give me a paper menu. =)
Nell – I’m so glad this post spoke to you! We rugged-fingered individuals need to stick together. =)
I get so frustrated when presenters don’t use short links. Some links can be miles long which is difficult to type in quickly.
You missed my biggest gripe – that people put QR codes on flyers and the post them places like Instagram with no bitlys… Folks, I do not habitually doom-scroll with 2 devices on me, and I cannot “click” on your QR code or copy/paste it, so you leave me with no way to scan your QR code when it’s already on my phone screen.
Elizabeth – Yes! Even if they’re not customized, short links just make sense when we’re trying to provide access to info. Increasing access means making links as short as possible. This is especially necessary when the link is included as part of info that will be cycled through like slides. We have to make short links a regular part of information sharing practice!
Sara – I could not agree more! It always boggles my mind when I’m on a device accessing social media or other channels/sources and a QR code pops up. How is there not a clickable or short link? And I rarely sit by my computer with my phone to hand – I’m on the computer; why would I want my phone?
It’s doubly frustrating when it’s SUCH an easy fix. I don’t know a lot of services that provide QR codes that don’t also offer short links. But maybe that’s just me and my small pool of tech. Even so, there are plenty of link shorteners out there that are free and easy to use.
I totally get the “they’re ugly” complaint—no amount of color matching can fix that chaotic pixelated square. But your point about phone keyboards and fat-fingering really hit home; I’ve definitely abandoned a QR scan mid-bite because my greasy thumb kept hitting the wrong link.
I totally get the aesthetic complaint—QR codes really do clash with most design systems. But I’m curious about the accessibility angle you’re hinting at with the keyboard and fingers point. Are you saying QR codes create barriers for people who can’t easily use their phone’s camera, or is there something else about the input method that’s problematic? Either way, it’s a good reminder that we should probably offer alternative ways to access the same information.
aitoolsonar: Yes, QR codes are both aesthetically unpleasant and can be a barrier to use. And even when they work perfectly, there’s always someone who missed it while it was on the screen, and it’s really tough for other audience members to share the resource if there’s not a short link to refer to. It’s just not a great piece of technology for how it is frequently used! As a friend pointed out, it’s fine as an additional access point; but it shouldn’t be the ONLY access point.
You make such a good point about how QR codes never match a design theme — it’s always bothered me too but I never really stopped to think about it. The phone keyboard and accessibility issues you bring up are things people completely overlook when they slap a QR code on everything. Looking forward to reading the rest of this and rethinking how I’ve been using them!