After putting up the posters, I was curious to see what would happen next. Would people scan the QR code? Would someone find the project on Instagram? Would there be messages, comments, questions, anything?
Spoiler: not really.
I had imagined that once the posters were in the public space, they might trigger a second layer of interaction, maybe something that moves the project beyond the physical and into the digital. The QR code was meant to be that bridge. But in reality, that bridge was barely crossed. A few scans here and there, no noticeable Instagram engagement. Mostly silence.
To be fair, it makes sense. People don’t usually stop and scan QR codes in the street, especially if they’re not immediately clear or inviting. And while the posters were visually striking, they weren’t screaming for attention in the way commercial advertising does. I didn’t want them to. But it also meant they stayed within that subtle space which was too quiet maybe, for interaction.
This isn’t a bad thing, it is a learning.
Visibility doesn’t equal engagement. Just because something is seen doesn’t mean it sparks action. And just because someone walks past a poster doesn’t mean they’ll take out their phone, scan a code, and follow the project. It requires more: more friction, more curiosity, more clarity or maybe even more provocation. If I would do it again, I would rethink the QR strategy entirely. Make it more present, more tempting. Maybe even confusing or funny enough to trigger a response. The posters asked questions, but the QR code didn’t. It was just there, passively waiting.
The experiment still feels valuable. It reminded me that communication design doesn’t end with the object. It continues or fails in how people relate to that object and thats actually the really hard thing to find out. And how much effort we expect from an audience that is actually just trying to get from A to B.
