Have you ever heard of the Golden Ratio and why we are referring to a mathematical formula in a design article? Believe it or not, the golden ration is the key to creating a perfect design that is organically pleasing to the human eye. But what exactly is the golden ratio?
The Definition Of The Golden Ratio
The golden ratio is when we divide a line into two parts; one long and the other short. The idea is to ensure that the entire line’s length when divided by the longer part, is equal to the longer part when divided by the shorter part. The diagram shown below will hopefully give you a better answer:
As you can see, the golden ratio must always be expressed in the form the irrational number 1.618. Put simply, when ‘a+b’ being divided by ‘a’ and when ‘a’ is being divided by ‘b’, the answer always has to be 1.618. That is the golden ratio!
There have been some artists from the 20th century such as Le Corbusier and Salvador Dalí that incorporated the golden ratio formula into their work and the golden rectangle is clear proof of that. The golden rectangle is when the ratio of the longer side to the smaller is said to be the golden ratio and is said to be visually appealing to the eyes.
Interestingly, the golden ratio or rectangle is pretty much the same as the Fibonacci sequence. The Fibonacci sequence is when there is a number that is the sum of the two numbers that precede it. For a better understanding, look at the image below:
You will also notice that the Fibonnaci sequence is identical with the golden rectangle as the following image indicates:
If you arrange the numbers in the form of sequential ratios such as 2/1, 3/2, 8/5 and so on, you will eventually get the irrational number 1.618, the same as the golden ratio. What’s more is that the Fibonacci sequence can be drawn as a spiral as shown below.
Notice something familiar about the shape of the spiral? Here’s a hint:
That’s right! The golden ratio is also found in nature.
If you want to design with a natural appeal of the golden ratio, but also ensure the design is technically perfect, then let this article be your guide.
Here’s a slideshow on how this divine ratio could be applied to logo designing…
