QUICK CONNECT

QR-Based Interest Matching Role: Design Lead Scope: 1-week design sprint · Brainstorming · Research · Prototyping · Patent application filed with the USPTO, 2023

 

THE CHALLENGE

A one-week internal design sprint challenged teams to create an innovative product incorporating QR code technology. Two teams from Design Technology participated, moving from discovery to idea presentation within the week.

My Role

I served as senior design lead on a multidisciplinary team of two designers, a copywriter, a researcher, and a project manager. Activities included a structured brainstorm, research into QR code patterns and variations, survey for customer interest, storyboarding, prototyping, and a final presentation.

 

THE IDEA

Our brainstorm uncovered an opportunity rooted in a familiar human experience — the missed connection. When two people meet briefly but don't have time to discover what they have in common, that potential goes unrealized. Quick Connect was designed to close that gap.

“Have you ever regretted missing a chance to talk and connect with someone?”

 

How It Works

Unlike a conventional QR code — which is one-directional and routes a user to a static digital location — Quick Connect is a two-directional information exchange. When two people scan each other's QC code, the system instantly surfaces their shared interests, pulled from curated media and social platforms like Netflix, Spotify, and Instagram via APIs. AI identifies likely common ground and serves personalized results back to each individual in real time.

Profiles are customizable for specific contexts — business, dating, or friendship — and content updates dynamically as users update their information.

Matching categories include:

  • Common interests: music, sports, hobbies, special interests

  • Career: Enneagram, job aptitude, professional history

  • Personal: love languages, dating interests

  • Travel: upcoming plans, past reviews, recommendations

  • Medical information (optional)

Privacy and security features include:

  • Closed, secure network with two-factor authentication

  • Global privacy toggle for location settings

  • Time-boxed QR codes

  • Granular hide/show controls by category

Survey results

 

Design-A-Thon presentation

OUTCOME

The concept resulted in a patent application filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on behalf of AT&T in 2023.