Circling around The University of Toledo just became more fun — and educational. More than 40 stickers with QR codes have been placed on UToledo’s campuses.
The dots are located outside buildings on Main, Health Science and Toledo Museum of Art campuses. Each sticker features a QR code that offers information about the structure and UToledo programs taking place in the building.
Dots like this one outside Memorial Field House allow persons on campus to explore the University and learn more about its programs.
“I think there are people that may be wandering campus every day wondering what goes on in that building or what it looks like on the inside. Now they’ll get a sneak peek inside many buildings with 360 images, and some additional photos and links to social media,” Jessica Kennedy, art director in Marketing and Communications, said.
The codes also will take visitors to UToledo’s virtual tour.
“We worked with Enrollment, which thought the stickers are a good alternative for those that can’t make it to scheduled tours or aren’t comfortable doing group tours at this time,” Kennedy said. “We also discussed this as a follow-up for students who have been on a group tour, but want to revisit campus on their own, which we know many students and families do.”
She was inspired to create the stickers during the pandemic.
Jessica Kennedy, art director in Marketing and Communications, placed a sticker outside the Student Recreation Center.
“I noticed a lot of people walking around campus while we were in quarantine, and I thought we could take the opportunity to engage with community members and potential students as tours were closed, but students and families were still visiting campuses,” Kennedy said.
Kathleen Walsh, director of web development in Marketing and Communications, suggested custom QR codes.
“We created landing pages on the UToledo website for the custom QR codes. This gives us the ability to update the content at any time,” Walsh explained. “This flexibility means we can create custom tour information for specific situations. For example, when Toledo plays Bowling Green in the Glass Bowl or Savage Arena, we can add video clips from past games between the archrivals.”
A GPS map is being created so users can have a mobile experience with walking directions from dot to dot, Walsh added.
Kennedy had fun working on this project.
“I learned a lot about our campus and that many universities don’t have self-guided tours. If they do, it’s likely a map or brochure that you can take around campus,” Kennedy said. “Having the YouVisit assets with video and photos makes it a richer experience, and having the dots around campus invites those coming to visit, as well as those in our community, to learn a bit more without having to visit our website or search out the information.”
Keep an eye on the University Instagram account for a chance to win prizes through a scavenger hunt featuring the self-guided tour.
