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IDEA NO HATENA (How and why of ideas)
Why does the QR Code have this pattern?
2025.06.12
Here is the solution to a mystery behind a design familiar to us. Today, we talk about the design of the QR Code which we see in all kinds of everyday situations. We listened to the story behind the development of the black and white square patterns, which have been used not only in Japan but all over the world since their introduction in 1994.
Until the 1980s, barcodes were the most widely used codes for automatic recognition in the manufacturing, logistics, and retail industries. However, barcodes had limited data capacity in that they could only store up to 20 alphanumeric characters of information.
In this period, production sites used methods such as printing multiple barcodes on slips to compensate for this small capacity. However, this required the operator to do an enormous amount of scanning work.
Just as the Internet era approached in earnest and 2D code development gained momentum, the development of a new 2D code which could solve these problems began in Japan. The mission of the development team was to make a code from which “more information, in more compact form, could be scan more quickly.”
The name “QR Code comes from “Quick Response.” A strong commitment to high-speed scanning is embedded even in the name. For this article, we asked DENSO WAVE Incorporated (note) about the background to the birth of the QR Code.
- “QR Code is a registered trademark of DENSO WAVE Incorporated.
Why does the QR Code have this pattern?
When the QR Code was developed, the policy was to include all the characteristics of the two-dimensional codes that preceded it, and to make an all-round code which was “quickly scannable, high capacity, and resistant to stains and distortion.”
To achieve this, the scanner needed to be able to find the code right away in various printed materials. This led to the idea of “Position Detection Pattern” placed in three corners of the code.
The development team surveyed a variety of printed materials and focused on the ratio of 1:1:3:1:1, which rarely appears in letters or shapes. “Position Detection Pattern” incorporating this ratio were placed in three corners, taking into consideration the storage data capacity, resulting in a unique design not found in other two-dimensional codes.
What is the secret to design longevity?
The QR Code was developed by working backwards from the user’s perspective of “how easy is it to use and how useful can it be,” with the users and their situations in mind.
I understand that what is valued is the resulting design, so this may not serve as advice for future designers, but I think that by taking the user’s perspective and steadfastly pursuing capability, the design will be refined and will find acceptance among users for a long time.
Another reason why the QR Code has spread so widely is that we decided to allow anyone to use it. At DENSO WAVE, we have made the patents we obtained for this code available free of charge, and various organizations have standardized it so that everyone can use it with peace of mind. This reflects the development philosophy that we want many people to use it.
As a result, the QR Code has become an indispensable part of people’s lives, and is utilized as “a code which anyone can use” in every aspect of daily life, including business cards, electronic tickets, and various ticketing systems. In IDEA NO HATENA (How and why of ideas), we will continue to tell the stories behind these designs which have achieved widespread popularity.
Courtesy / Sources: DENSO WAVE Incorporated QR Code development story: https://www.denso-wave.com/en/technology/vol1.html QR Code.com History of QR Code: https://www.qrcode.com/en/history/
(Note) The QR Code was developed in 1994, when DENSO WAVE’s automatic recognition business was the applied equipment division of DENSO (the company’s name at the time was Nippondenso Co., Ltd.). DENSO WAVE took over the business and the rights in 2001 and continues to develop them.
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