How to Use the Golden Ratio in Design (with Examples)The golden rectangle is the simplest (and arguably the most useful) way to visualize the golden ratio, but you can also use circles and triangles in a very similar way. For instance, you can create an approximate golden spiral shape out of circles—and those circles fit perfectly inside a system of golden rectangles. There’s also such a thing as a “golden triangle,” an isosceles triangle with two equal sides and one distinctive side that are in golden proportion to one another. When these triangles are nested inside of one another, it creates the exact same “golden spiral” shape. Golden proportions are ubiquitous. The golden ratio isn’t just some lofty mathematical theory; it shows up all the time in the real world. While many of the most often- cited examples of the golden ratio have been debunked, there are still plenty of them throughout nature and in man- made works of art. Keep in mind that the golden ratio is based on irrational numbers, so many of these examples don’t exactly conform to the golden ratio. And even when the golden ratio can be found in a work of art, that doesn’t necessarily mean the artist intentionally included it as part of some grand design. Though there are those who would argue otherwise, the golden ratio probably doesn’t have any mystical powers of beauty drawn from the primordial fabric of the universe. But it does seem likely that this ubiquitous pattern has some aesthetically appealing properties and tends to suggest a sense of natural balance and visual harmony. Using the golden ratio in graphic design. Building your graphic design around a golden rectangle or a Fibonacci sequence takes some real art mastery, but any designer can use it as a general guideline to add tweaks and improvements to their design. The more you get used to the golden ratio, the more you’ll find that it’s merely showing you where the best parts of your design are—it’s not necessarily dictating how you should design your piece. Sometimes you’ll find that the golden ratio suits a design perfectly, while other times, you’ll come up with clever ideas that don’t necessarily adhere to the rules. That’s fine—for as many designs you’ll find out there in the world that fulfill the golden ratio, you’ll find nearly an equal amount of designs that don’t. It’s not a make- or- break rule; it’s just another tool you can add to your designer’s toolkit. Typography. The easiest way to start using the golden ratio is to implement it within your typographical graphic design elements. For example, let’s say that you’re using 1.
Using the golden ratio, you can determine the best size for the headings by multiplying by 1. So, 1. 0 . Or let’s say your headline text is 2. Therefore, 2. 0/1. That’s the beauty of the golden ratio—you don’t have to be perfect. Learn what the Golden Ratio in photography is, how it compares to the Rule of Thirds and how to use it for photography composition. The Golden Ratio has been. ![]() ![]() Sizing/cropping images. Naturally, a simple way to incorporate the golden ratio into a design is to crop photos (or any other images you may use) into a golden rectangle shape. Again, that doesn’t mean you should always do it for every photo, but you may want to consider it for an image that’s particularly central to your design. When you crop images with the golden ratio in mind (especially when working with photography), you might also consider using the golden spiral as a guide for the shot’s composition. For example, you could crop a photo to golden proportions in such a way that the main focal point of the image is at the center of the corresponding golden spiral. The golden-section search is a technique for finding the extremum (minimum or maximum) of a strictly unimodal function by successively narrowing the range of values. The Golden Ratio is found in the design and beauty of nature, and has been used by many artists to achieve the same aesthetics in art composition as well. It adds interest in a way that’s very similar to the rule of thirds, but many consider it a more natural- looking, aesthetically pleasing choice. Using the golden ratio in your visual designs can also be as simple as applying it to the proportional size difference between two different elements—even elements that aren’t “golden” shapes themselves. For example, say you had an image in your design that was 2 inches wide and you wanted to pair it with a smaller picture. A 2 inch image divided by 1. You could also add a larger image to the design, which would require you to multiply your 2 inch photo by the golden ratio to end up with roughly 3. And now you’ve got yourself a Fibonacci sequence going, creating even more interest than before. Logo design. You can also use the golden ratio to add aesthetic appeal directly to a company’s branding. Even if the logo itself isn’t shaped like a golden rectangle or triangle, it can still employ elements that use golden proportions. General layout. Once again, using a golden spiral to inform your graphic design’s layout is a lot like using the rule of thirds grid—you want the focus of the design to be centered on the spiral, using the golden rectangles as division lines for the placement of visual elements. But unlike the rule of thirds grid, you can move the golden rectangle around to suit your needs. After all—if you couldn’t move around a golden rectangle, then every design would look like a golden rectangle or spiral. Instead, think of your golden rectangle as a ruler—it doesn’t change, but you can move it around the canvas to measure out the elements that are already there. Digital designers have to work within tighter constraints when it comes to creating a layout; they can’t control the dimensions of the audience’s monitor, after all. A common trick in web design is to use the golden ratio to divide space between the body of the website and the sidebar. Web designers are working within a horizontal medium, and much of print design is vertically oriented. Of course, pretty much anything that is printed vertically can also be printed horizontally—but you won’t always have the option. The advantage to working in print is that the size of the media itself can be measured out according to the golden ratio. However, there are also times when print designers are constrained to a standard size and unable to use custom print options. Thankfully, you can still apply the golden ratio to the layout of any print template; you just have to be smart about it. The good thing about presentation folders and other print materials that open up is that they give you both a vertically and horizontally aligned canvas to work with. Whenever you open up a presentation folder, the combined interior creates one big horizontal rectangle. Therefore, it’s fairly easy to have interior elements based on the golden ratio, such as the size and placement of the pockets. You could also implement the same kind of sidebar idea that web designers use by having a custom- made info flap inside the folder. We gathered up some of the best tools and apps to help you incorporate the golden ratio into your design. The degree to which you rely on the golden ratio is up to you, but even the slightest application of its proportions can really add appeal to your designs. If you want to be extra sure your design is up to snuff, try measuring it up to both the golden ratio and the rule of thirds. If your design satisfies both, you could have something great on your hands. Click the image below to view it full- size. The golden ratio is a really fascinating subject and we’re completely geeked out about how often it appears in nature, classic art, architecture, logo design and more. We want to see your best examples of the golden ratio in action, so leave a comment below with your samples—especially if they’re designs you created yourself.
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October 2017
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