diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 742014c..bfb9e04 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -255,3 +255,4 @@ $RECYCLE.BIN/
 # Ignore Output files
 *.pdf
 /carwatch/examples/properties.tex
+/output/
diff --git a/carwatch/qr_codes/study_qr_generator.py b/carwatch/qr_codes/study_qr_generator.py
index cfb9e19..f73f17e 100644
--- a/carwatch/qr_codes/study_qr_generator.py
+++ b/carwatch/qr_codes/study_qr_generator.py
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ def __init__(
         self.output_dir = None
         self.output_name = f"qr_code_{self.study.study_name}"
 
-    def generate(self, output_dir: str = ".", output_name: Optional[str] = None):  # pragma: no cover
+    def generate(self, output_dir: str = "./output", output_name: Optional[str] = None):  # pragma: no cover
         """Generate a `*.png` file with QR code according to the properties of the created ``QrCodeGenerator``.
 
         Parameters
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ def generate(self, output_dir: str = ".", output_name: Optional[str] = None):  #
 
         """
         output_dir = Path(output_dir)
+        output_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
         output_name = Path(output_name)
         try:
             assert_is_dir(output_dir)
diff --git a/carwatch/scripts/prepare_study.py b/carwatch/scripts/prepare_study.py
index 5063f93..25bcaef 100644
--- a/carwatch/scripts/prepare_study.py
+++ b/carwatch/scripts/prepare_study.py
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@
 )
 @click.option(
     "--output_dir",
-    default=".",
+    default="./output",
     prompt="Output directory for generated files",
     help="Directory where generated files will be stored.",
     envvar="PATHS",