Making QR More Interesting

Introducing "Ideas to Make Things More Interesting" from Dentsu Inc. young art directors. This time, Yusuke Koyanagi presents "Making QR More Interesting."

If we could develop affection for technology instead of just using it and discarding it, the world would become a warmer place.

──Why did you choose the theme "Making QR More Interesting"?

Koyanagi: Being part of the Digital Creative Center, I often think about how quickly technology becomes outdated. New tech is constantly invented, only to become obsolete.

That's unavoidable, but it feels sad to just let it fade into oblivion.

QR codes are still active today as airplane tickets or factory management tools, but ten years ago, they were often included in advertising materials and played a much more prominent role. As smartphone search functions advanced, I think they faded significantly into the background and became "an old relic."

Their stage for use has narrowed considerably. Back in my student days, I created works using QR codes, so seeing them now always gives me a somewhat bittersweet feeling.

This time, given the theme of "making ○○ interesting," I thought it was a good opportunity and decided to express myself using QR codes.

I wondered if adding the universal value of "cuteness" to this old technology might spark renewed interest.

I hope it can become a presence that's simply allowed to be there, like a beckoning cat, even if people don't point their smartphones at it to scan it anymore. I want it to be loved for a long time.

──What are you currently obsessed with?

Koyanagi: As I've mentioned before in my Dentsu Inc. profile, it's still the ratio of strong flour to weak flour for gyoza wrappers. When pan-frying: "155g weak flour, 160g strong flour, 35g mochi flour, 185cc water at 60°C." Dust with weak flour when rolling out.

For baking in my oven's automatic gyoza mode: "200g cake flour, 120g bread flour, 30g mochi flour, 185cc water at 75°C." Dust with potato starch when rolling out.

This is my current best recipe after trying many variations. I want to keep the chewy texture while achieving a smoother mouthfeel... Lately, or rather for the past year, I've been obsessed with gyoza wrappers.