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Awesome unique barcode designs

springwise.com — Barcodes are usually pretty boring, these guys are changing that. Check out their unique designs.

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  • spencewah, on 10/12/2007, -18/+12These would make cool tattoos, especially if you personalized the barcode.
    • slimer369, on 10/12/2007, -20/+6yes...I want a tattoo of a bar-code on me.... wait.....you mean I could get a tattoo of an umbrella bar-code or one of a bed? sweet! now I want one even more...

      I think I'll let my tattoos mean something to me. Personalized or not... somethings should not be tattooed. It seems completely unimaginative.
    • gooru, on 10/12/2007, -20/+7In what? Cute Neo-Nazism? The last thing I want is a barcode tattooed on my arm regardless of how cute it looks.
    • jer2eydevil88, on 10/12/2007, -10/+8I would get the bar code for a box of Budweiser on my upper arm... I think it would be kinda funny to get to argue with the people who run the self checkouts when my arm swipes and I want to remove that item.
    • kilmer, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Pretty cool design, but I have to ask why. Its time to move past barcodes and to new technology that is quickly becoming cheaper and faster. RFID...
  • rockzcm, on 10/12/2007, -19/+3it looks quit cool. Will the scanner ever getting confused with those pic?
    • MixedSpleens, on 10/12/2007, -1/+16If you look at their website, they comment on the importance of following strict guidelines and testing the barcodes.
    • NSMike, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9When I worked for FedEx, we scanned EVERY barcode that came across our path. It really only needs to be clearly readable for the thickness of the beam (i.e. about a milimeter). I've fudged out good scans from pretty badly damaged barcodes by finding the one spot where it was undamaged.
    • negativefx, on 10/12/2007, -6/+2Why does FedEx need to scan every barcode that comes across? Don't they need to scan only their shipping barcode?

      I could be misinterpreting what you mean by EVERY, however.
    • felyduw, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5@negativefx: We should start putting on our tinfoil hats right now eheheheh
    • NSMike, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8@negativefx

      It was hyperbole. After handling more than 3000 packages every day, not counting the holidays (minor ones ususally added 1500+ packages, big ones like Christmas could see upwards of 9000) it seems like every barcode had to be scanned. In reality, we scan the shipping barcodes, although there are different types for different purposes. And sometimes people would re-use old boxes that came, say via UPS, with the label still on them, and we'd end up scanning their code by mistake... That ways always fun.
  • hotrod1, on 10/12/2007, -8/+1Pretty cools designs they have there but yeah testing is a very important element to these barcodes too because they have to work alot better then they look.
  • iguanapunk, on 10/12/2007, -8/+1are they RFID future proof? hehe
  • Slybri, on 10/12/2007, -2/+14The checkout lady at wal-mart will be utterly confused.
    • se0siris, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9Agreed. It's a nice idea, but if you're running a weekly shop through Tesco's and all the products have one of these then a lot of time could be wasted.

      Sometimes it takes long enough to find the barcode as it is...
  • modish, on 10/12/2007, -35/+2Bury! I submitted the same story link to another site a week ago, just didn't get as many diggs.
    I know I know...I'm a bit bitter. http://digg.com/design/Cool_Creative_Implementation_of_those_Usually_Boring_Barcodes
    http://www.barcoderevolution.com/gallery/index.php?c=13
    • liquidsunshine, on 10/12/2007, -7/+4There, you've been buried, as requested.
    • DarthTurducken, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1It's your fault for submitting it first. Everyone knows it's the Doppelganger that gets noticed.
  • pbaehr, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7This is a relatively common design exercise. I did a project like this twice in my studies. It's not a new idea, but managing to convince companies to use them commercially is an innovation, I suppose.
    • computerdave, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4$4000 initial setup, then $400/year. YIKES. No thanks, man.
  • kryx, on 10/12/2007, -4/+12Please stop using "awesome" in your titles. In your description is appropriate.
    • felchdonkey, on 10/12/2007, -3/+11I wish there were a filter on Digg to block all stories with the words AWESOME, AMAZING or KILLER
    • gcube9x, on 10/12/2007, -4/+5Isn't it possible with Greasemonkey?
    • markr, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5Add "best ever", ultimate and "top ten" to the filter list please!
    • jessethouin, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4Don't forget INCREDIBLE.
    • goat4, on 10/12/2007, -6/+6and apple
    • palmer, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2And most of all, "WEB 2.0".
    • Waffles, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9There wouldn't be anything left at that point.
  • cawpin, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4That would just make it a pain in the ass the find the barcode if it looks like something else, especially with the more elaborate ones. It is a barcode. It serves a function. It isn't art.
    • NSMike, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6Oh? And why can't something functional be artistic?

      Hellooooo - Ever hear of architecture?
    • Inbal, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"It serves a function. It isn't art."?!
      That is one of the most depressing statements I've ever heard. If people tried to make art more functional and different functions more artistic, the world could have been a smarter and more inspiring place.
  • negativefx, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Check out the back of the NOFX album Pump up the Valuum. There's a pretty slick barcode design on it that reflects the "punk" opinion of barcodes in general.
    • palmer, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Is it really "Valuum"? If so, it should be yanked from the market for sheer stupidity.
  • drunknjew, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3i was going to get a barcode tattoo back before they got trendy. then they did. so i got a binary tattoo, and then those got popular. now ive got XML on my wrists, and only a handful of people have ripped me off.
  • barrelrider, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2OK , but I like Art Lebedev better See : http://www.artlebedev.com/posters/
    • chaosmachine, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1those are actually pretty cool..
  • jcofstl, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0The late, great, Rick Tharp of "Tharp Did It" design was doing this back in the late 80's -- WELL worth checking out old design annuals to see his work.
  • LizardSlayer, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3If you liked those you will love these:http://www.barcodeart.com/artist/exhibit.html
    (If you didn't like those you might like these)

    And spencewah, your tatoos are right here: http://www.barcodeart.com/art/photo/photo_frames.html
  • gustasonfrever, on 10/12/2007, -5/+1These are pretty cool (My favorite was the umbrella) but some of them are-in my opinion- pretty stupid because the barcode looks exactly the same as a normal barcode, the only thing being changed was a little art around the barcode. I don't know if anyone agrees with me but some of those aren't that great.
  • Zippo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Oh, those wacky Japanese.
  • OrcusThanatos, on 10/12/2007, -7/+0Maybe Nutrition Information labels should be disguised next, or better yet, trademarks!! I don't get it. Disguising a bar code.. is that supposed to make me choose one product over the other?? I've never known anyone to 'read' bar codes before they purchase a product. This is just lame.
    • Piper7865, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3it's not so much disguising as .. re-dressing it it's supposed to elicit more of a "Oh that's cute" comment from the customer and then they'll tell all their friends about the cute zebra,frying pan etc. picture and mention the brand at the same time. It's kinda like viral marketing .. at least till they become common place then it's just standard.
  • BMW3, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1These would be great for high end clothing stores. I know some stores on melrose california that would probably use these. some of the would make pretty cool tats.
  • SuperNeat, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0IF you think this is cool check out a guy i know that does neat bar code manipulations.
    http://barcodeart.com/
  • quiltmaster, on 10/12/2007, -4/+0This seems pretty useless to me. When have you ever been disapointed because you had a boring barcode?
    • VeganG, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1You're the one who's boring. Seems your spark has gone out.
  • jamesivie, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1I can't wait for everyone to use these. It'll probably only quadruple the amount of time required to checkout while the cashier plays "Where's Waldo" looking for the barcode hidden on the packaging!
  • 022A, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1Disappointing, stupid even.

    I expected something fundamentally different about the way the codes are printed. I've had to deal with barcodes quite a bit, I had a side project to work on some in-house software for scanning incoming shipments and converting the data into a familiar form that the company has been using forever.

    A barcode's purpose is to be read quickly and reliably by a machine. Any deviations from it's standard form is going against that purpose. The extra ink/space used by the most fancy of these designs would be better spent on providing more area for the barcode itself to enhance it's function.

    Also, the guys who do inventory and scan thousands of codes every month would murder someone for having to deal with the off-angle "legwarmer" design or key in the upside down numbering on the umbrella if the code was damaged.

    Maybe these guys will start printing cute pictures on industrial gage faces next so a boiler can blow up in some guys face because he mistook Hello Kitty's majorette baton for the needle.
    • BMW3, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2stfu. you tard.
    • felchdonkey, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1From now on, I'm going to mod up every "stfu" and "you tard" and "kewl" comment. Might as well be honest about the level of discourse around here.
  • ethicka, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0aren't these kinds of barcodes going to be obsolete with the advent of Data Matrix?
  • jasonisageek, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Too bad RFIDs are going to make barcodes obsolete.
  • DrinkPaint, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4All the comments about how barcodes should ONLY be used for their intended purpose are just disturbing. You guys must live in a really dry and boring world. Is everything about purpose and function to you? You're like robots. The same kind of people who think sex should only be performed for the purpose of procreation.
    • thordiddy, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1Did I miss something, or are these just bar codes added into pictures? No Digg. Worst Article Ever.
  • ggriffit, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2This is one of those...."The greatest ideas are the ones you think, "Why didn't I think of that!""at!"
  • stupidStan, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1how worthless
  • Xoligy, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Does it matter? Barcodes are for a reason, not to look pretty.
    • DrinkPaint, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2In case you haven't noticed yet, humans like pretty things, especially if those pretty things also have a function. That's why people buy a Ferrari when they could simply drive a Toyota, buy clothes from Banana Republic instead of Wal-Mart, or build houses with nice architectural features instead of simply living in a square box.

      Life isn't just about function. If it was, it would be really really boring.
    • Xoligy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1But do you buy a Ferrari just because it has a pretty license plate? No. Think about what you're comparing.
  • Rojo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Umm they already have barcodes with coold designs like that. I work in a bookstore and alot of the new contemporary books with crazy cover art will have barcodes like that.
  • gypsyjoe, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Haha, you thought that was AWESOME? Get a life.
  • topgun195, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0'Made in the US' barcodes anybody?
  • edzieba, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1What I really, really, REALLY hate, are red and near-red barcodes. Every barcode scanner I've ever seen has used a red laser. A red barcode will rarely, if ever, scan.
  • loxi, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0http://www.design-sites.net
  • dig19975, on 04/01/2008, -0/+0Here is a free barcode generator tool that I found. http://www.waspbarcode.com/Barcode_maker/generator ...
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