[spacemanaki]

And yet the QR code on the front page has an embedded logo, which isn't at all part of the spec, I think. Kind of ironic. I know brands love those designer QR codes (or at least loathe them less) but they have a significant impact on scan-ability, even if many decoders are good enough to scan them, they might take longer, especially on non-top-of-the-line phones. The point of a QR code is to make that information easier to get at, and the designer codes are at odds with this. (disclaimer, I worked at a barcode startup for a bit, and I left partly because I don't buy QR codes)

[dusker]

Embedding logo is not a part of the spec, but demonstration that QR codes can be customized. In my experience (and i also have been involved in QR code related startup) these don't take longer to process as long as you don't go over the certain point with customizing the code. It's all about finding the right balance.

[obtu]

Error correction is part of the spec (along with a reference algorithm for decoding a real-world image), so by keeping enough margin in the right places it's possible to embed a logo safely.