3 Examples of QR Code Supremacy

We’ve shown you our favorite QR code designs and introduced you to a man who lives and breathes barcodes, but after digging deeper into the implications of scanning for information we’ve pulled together three different examples of designs that not only feature the ubiquitous pixels but completely defy the rest of the object’s composition.

N Building — Tokyo, Japan

Have you ever seen a skyscraper and wondered what was going on behind all those luminous open windows? Building architects TERADADESIGN along with media architects Qosmo, Inc. have answered this question by covering the N Building’s facade with a scannable code that let’s you peer into the lives of the people working 10 floors above your head. By reading the code on your mobile device, you are taken to a site where you can view up-to-date shop information, make reservations, and download coupons, as well as see real-time tweets from people inside. Depending on the time of year (remember this is Japan) kitschy little surprises will also appear on your phone. The video poses a great question: “[In] a city overcome with signs and billboards, what might the future look like?”

Sema-Code Dress — Marguerite Charmante with Wolfgeng Peter Schmiller

Until now we’ve only had Google to aid us in stalking potential dates (that is if you know his or her name), but this dress opens up a whole new concept of “checking out” a person before you approach them. Picture this: you spot an interesting person on the street, scan their code, and are taken to their Facebook page, personal blog, favorite video, or website of their choice. If a little investigation didn’t spark your interest, then no harm done…but what if you (or they) could benefit from complementary personality traits or mutual professional expertise? The linen and silk QR code-patterned dress, seen above, allows voyeurs to literally, get under the wearer’s skin. Each icon you scan takes you to the corresponding body part of Venus from Botticelli’s famous nude, The Birth of Venus. It’s like a one-sided version of sexting, only classier.

Kuyou no Mado (Memorial Service Window) — Ishinokoe

This is by far the most high-tech grave we’ve ever seen (but this Bluetooth-outfitted tomb comes in at a close second). By scanning the code on top of the grave, friends, family, and admirers are taken to a site commemorating the deceased in pictures, words, and video. If you’re savvy (or scared of being forgotten) start designing your posthumous website now. You never know, those old journals could be worth something someday.