usefulness than that. They can be a marketer’s best friend, sending interested viewers to a new movie trailer, landing page, or product line. And while futuristic in theory, these codes date back to a Japanese car factory when Ace of Base’s “The Sign” still topped the charts. But the full history goes back even further.
A
s touchless experiences have become ubiquitous in 2020—necessary advancements to prevent the spread of COVID-19—so, too, have Quick Response (QR) codes. These little scannable squares, reminiscent of Rorschach tests, can instantly direct a smartphone to any web property. You’ve certainly seen them at your favorite restaurant or other surprising locations this year, but these codes have greater usefulness than that. They
Origins
1932—1970
UPC Era
1973
The UGPIC evolves into the Uniform Product Code (UPC) and supermarket scan system after being proposed by an IBM engineer and tested at Kroger supermarkets.
Early Days
2011
Best Buy and Macy’s adopt the QR code for national marketing campaigns—opening the floodgates for
code-scanning ad campaigns around the world.
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Smartphone
AGE
Widespread
Adoption
Origins
UPC Era
Early DAYS
Widespread Adoption
Smartphone Age
1932
The first automated checkout system is proposed using a system based on punched cards, a method first used in 1890 for the US Census. This is among the first instances of collecting information through a machine.
1994
The Quick Response (QR) code is invented by a Toyota subsidiary to track vehicle parts quickly during manufacturing. The design is inspired by the black and white playing pieces from the Chinese game of Go.
2017
Apple introduces native QR code reading directly from the iPhone camera app in iOS 11 without the need for a third-party application.
The Evolution
1973—1992
1994—2010
2011—2015
2017—2019
Touchless Future
TOUCHLESS
Future
2020
The COVID-19 pandemic brings 2030 to 2020, as countless businesses adopt QR codes for restaurant menus, curbside pickups, and other touch-free interactions by recommendation of the CDC.
2020—Beyond
1949
The first barcode symbology was patented by a pair of grad students from Drexel Institute of Technology after a request from a local food chain to read product information faster during checkout.
1967
The KarTrak code is introduced as the first automatic car identification (ACI) system for the Association of American Railroads and is used on every train car in the country.
1969
KarTrak system developer David Jarret Collins shifts from railroads to manufacturing and develops the first scanning systems used for identifying parts on complex assemblies at General Motors.
1970
The National Association of Food Chains (NAFC) establishes the first set of grocery barcode guidelines for faster supermarket checkouts. Soon after, the Universal Grocery Products Identification Code (UGPIC) was created.
1974
The Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio is the first to install and use the updated UPC scanning system for grocery inventory. The first scan? A pack of Juicy Fruit gum.
1980
Kmart becomes the first major retailer to integrate UPC scanning in all stores, while hipping companies like FedEx to use barcodes and handheld scanners to track packages.
1988
The United States Department of Defense adopts the barcode system to track all products sold to the US military, ushering in a wider adoption of barcode tracking in industrial applications.
1992
A New York Times story describes President George H.W. Bush as “amazed” by UPC technology at a supermarket checkout at the age of 68—kicking off a damaging political narrative that he was out of touch with regular Americans.
1995
The QR-inspired Aztec code, which requires less space
than a traditional QR code, is introduced. Among other applications, it is used to create the first electronic boarding passes for trains and airlines for faster check-ins.
2003
The Nokia 6600 is among the first in a new generation of smartphones with video recording capabilities—effectively opening up the technology for handheld code scanners on mobile devices.
2008
A tombstone manufacturer in Japan begins selling tombstones with embedded QR codes. When used, the codes link
to
an online obituary.
2010
The first QR code reader apps are released for smartphones—allowing mainstream users to “scan”
the codes using their smartphone video camera as
a handheld reader.
2011
Snapchat brings QR codes to the mainstream by
launching a messaging app with unique “Snapcodes”
for users to share their profiles.
2012
QR code payments are deployed in the Czech Republic for handheld financial transactions, pioneering QR codes as a gateway for mobile payments.
2014
Apple iPhones account for nearly half of all QR code
scans worldwide through the use of third-party QR code reader applications.
2015
Apple releases the Apple Watch, featuring its own unique QR code-style pairing process to sync seamlessly with the wearer’s iPhone. The result is a streamlined UX without the need for user input.
2018
Blockchain technologies break out with the rise of Bitcoin. Mobile payments through QR codes soon follow.
2018
Amazon introduces its own branded QR, named SmileCodes, from within its own app for customers to connect with products and unlock offers in the physical world.
2018
Nike introduces “Shop the Look” in retail stores with a branded QR code next to mannequins directing customers to the same outfit online via the Nike app.
2019
Android phones follow Apple’s lead and begin shipping with native QR code readers. With iPhones and Androids now both reading QR codes, over 60% of the world has access to high-speed internet and a QR code reader.
2020
China, Singapore, and India use QR Codes to facilitate community-driven contact tracing for COVID-19.
2020
Apple continues developing camera and software support for reading QR codes as their use surges. These include flashlight support for reading in the dark and enhancements for reading codes that are small and wrapped around objects.
2020
The rate of QR codes scanned increases by 225% per month between March and September 2020.*
An Interactive History
of the QR Code
Everything you ever wanted to know about how a QR code works, where it came from, and where it’s going.
Know the Code
Words by Simon Martin &
Design by Jeremiah McNair
Smartphone Age
Touchless Future
Widespread Adoption
Early DAYS
UPC Era
Origins
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Based on data usage from
Beaconstac's QR Code Generator
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