{"id":23590,"date":"2018-12-19T10:12:12","date_gmt":"2018-12-19T10:12:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/codewebbarcelona.com\/proporcion-aurea-que-es-mito-realidad\/"},"modified":"2026-04-20T23:30:05","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T23:30:05","slug":"golden-ratio-myth-or-reality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/codewebbarcelona.com\/en\/blog\/golden-ratio-myth-or-reality\/","title":{"rendered":"The Golden Ratio: What Is It? Myth or Reality?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Golden ratio, golden number, divine proportion, golden mean… Chances are you\u2019ve heard these terms before. In this post, I\u2019m going to dig into the concept and try to answer the big question: is it fact or fiction?<\/p>\n

If you spend any time online, follow a few graphic design Instagram accounts, or look up the story behind a famous logo, you\u2019ve probably come across the golden ratio being overlaid on a design.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s happened to me. And I doubt I\u2019m the only one who looks at it with a healthy dose of skepticism.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve never really taken sides on the debate, mostly because I haven\u2019t looked into it deeply enough.<\/p>\n

So I\u2019m dedicating this post to a bit of pseudo-research, to draw my own conclusions. Next time I come across the golden ratio, I want to be able to look it in the eye and say I know exactly what it is, where it comes from, and how it works.
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At first glance, it\u2019s easy to fall into one of two camps. You can treat it as gospel and believe it\u2019s a universal truth. You can even wave the golden ratio flag to justify a logo design, even if you\u2019re not entirely sure what it means. Or you can dismiss it as overhyped nonsense\u2014about as real as a Kardashian\u2019s curves.<\/p>\n

If you haven\u2019t done your homework, you\u2019re just guessing\u2014no matter which side you pick.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s dive in!<\/p>\n

What is the golden ratio?<\/h2>\n

A quick overview<\/h3>\n

Represented by the Greek letter \u03c6 (phi), the golden ratio is an irrational number, typically expressed as a never-ending decimal.<\/p>\n

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Did that mathematical formula make things any clearer? Didn\u2019t think so.<\/p>\n

Bringing it back to our world\u2014if you\u2019re into graphic design or art, you\u2019ve probably seen the iconic spiral associated with the golden ratio.<\/p>\n

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This spiral is often called the \u201cdivine proportion.\u201d Supposedly, it appears in nature, in art, and even in our perception of beauty.<\/p>\n

In theory, objects that follow the golden ratio are said to be more visually pleasing than those that don\u2019t.<\/p>\n

So, if this concept is actually true, shouldn\u2019t we be applying it to design?<\/p>\n

Using the spiral above, you can map out proportional grids.<\/p>\n

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The golden ratio in design and art<\/h3>\n

In both design and art, you\u2019ll find the golden ratio cropping up in works from antiquity as well as in more contemporary pieces.<\/p>\n

The golden ratio in art<\/h4>\n

Let\u2019s look at a few examples you might recognize and see how the golden ratio is supposedly incorporated.<\/p>\n

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In the famous painting of The Last Supper, you can see the golden ratio applied geometrically in several sections.<\/p>\n

Both the groups of people and the spaces around them are arranged in line with the golden ratio.<\/p>\n

The table, viewed from the front, is divided so that the lower half is exactly half the height of the upper half. If you look at the center, the width is half that of the adjacent sections.<\/p>\n

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In this other work by Da Vinci, you can see the painting is divided into several layers of depth, each separated according to the golden ratio.<\/p>\n

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Even the small table\u2019s decorations are said to follow the divine proportion.<\/p>\n

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In another masterpiece\u2014this one by Michelangelo\u2014you can also spot the golden ratio in the way the main figures are arranged.<\/p>\n

The golden ratio in design<\/h4>\n

We\u2019ve seen that the golden ratio pops up frequently in art. I could give you more examples, but this post would get way too long. If you want to find more, Google is your friend. Now let\u2019s see how it\u2019s used in design.<\/p>\n

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When it comes to the golden ratio, you can\u2019t ignore the Apple logo. I actually wrote a post not long ago about why the Apple logo is one of the best logos in the world<\/a>. And no, I\u2019m not an Apple fanboy\u2014I’m not even writing this on a Mac.<\/p>\n

You can see the logo is made up of several circles. These circles are based on the golden ratio.<\/p>\n

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Check out this YouTube video that breaks down the logo\u2014you\u2019ll see exactly what I mean.<\/p>\n