![]() ![]() The golden ratio isn’t just some lofty mathematical theory it shows up all the time in the real world. When these triangles are nested inside of one another, it creates the exact same “golden spiral” shape. 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. 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.įor instance, you can create an approximate golden spiral shape out of circles-and those circles fit perfectly inside a system of golden rectangles. Visualizing the golden ratio with other shapes Notice how each time you divide your golden rectangle, the largest dividing line kind of spirals in onto itself? That’s no accident-it forms the shape of a “golden spiral,” one of the more ubiquitous shapes that you’ll deal with when working with the golden ratio. If you take that new rectangle and create another square within it, you’ll end up with another golden rectangle in the leftover space, which you can then divide up again, and so on and so forth. Now add a 618 x 618 square on the right side of the canvas, leaving behind a 382 x 618 rectangle on the left side-another golden rectangle! To make this simple, we’ll start with a width of 1000 pixels and divide it by 1.618 to get a height of about 618 pixels. Let’s start by creating a rectangle with golden proportions. A “golden rectangle” is one that fits the parameters of the golden ratio-but the more times you divide a golden rectangle according to the golden ratio, the more useful it becomes. So now that we understand the basic numbers at play, here’s a more advanced technique for using those numbers in a more visual way. The golden ratio isn’t exact when it comes to the Fibonnacci sequence-the difference between two numbers on the sequence isn’t always exactly equal to the golden ratio, but it’s pretty close. From the Fibonacci sequence, the Greeks developed the golden ratio to better express the difference between any two numbers in succession within the sequence. Starting with 0 and 1, add the last number of the sequence to the number that came before it to create the next number in the sequence. The Fibonacci sequence is easy to remember. It can also be found in famous works of art and architecture and even in our own faces. The ratio itself is derived from the Fibonacci sequence, a naturally occurring sequence of numbers that can be found practically everywhere in nature, from the number of leaves on a tree to the spiral shape of a seashell. Of course, the mathematical equation at work here is much more complicated than that. The golden ratio is probably best understood as the proportions 1:1.618. ![]() The golden ratio is a little more complicated, so we recommend you first read our guide to the rule of thirds if math isn’t your forte. Much like the rule of thirds, this mathematical concept can be applied to your graphic designs to make them more visually appealing to the viewer. They expressed this mathematical phenomenon with the Greek letter phi, but today, we call it the golden ratio-also known as the divine proportion, the golden mean, and the golden section. The Ancient Greeks were one of the first to discover a way to harness the beautiful asymmetry found in plants, animals, insects and other natural structures. Want to be on the same creative level as Leonardo Da Vinci, Salvador Dali and the designers of the Parthenon? They all have one simple concept in common. ![]()
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