10 Reasons Why The Golden Ratio Matter In Logo Design
Let's find out several reasons why a golden ratio also matters in logo design!
Created by DAINOGO | https://dribbble.com/shots/16222334-Fox-logo-golden-ratio-grid-Animal-Logo
The vector design world is the world that recognizes the golden ratio. The golden ratio itself refers to the 1.618 number. We also refer to the golden ratio as the golden section ratio, the divine proportion, or the golden mean.
The Fibonacci series is the bases for the golden section ratio. Such sequences relate to the arithmetic progression and the ratios between neighboring numbers. First of all, we’re going to disclose the arithmetic patterns and, finally, the ways the ratios make the golden ratio appears.
The arithmetic progression will look something like 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, ..., and so on. The closer the upper versus the lower number in the ratio fraction, the closer the fraction is to the golden ratio. For instance, the 5/3 ratio (or 1.667) is closer to 1.618 than the 5/2 ratio (or 2.5).
Created by Paulius Kairevicius | https://dribbble.com/shots/11981547-Fastic-Logo-Design
Such ratios also apply to the frequency in the natural world, the world where the vector design fields belong. The numbers of flower petal decorations, the Great Pyramid of Giza, and even the DNA molecules in our bodies all correspond to this golden ratio.
Many designers picture the golden section ratio in a rectangle shape that fulfills the golden rectangle aspect ratio, which is 1:618. When we cut the rectangle, we will find lots of symmetrical shapes.
So, why does the golden ratio matter so much in the logo design industry that people there regard it as the divine proportion? This article provides you with the ten why’s.
Created by DAINOGO | https://dribbble.com/shots/15964056-Owl-Logo-Grid
1. It is a universally-beautiful and proportional measure to your logo
When we see the golden ratio’s shapes, we will immediately see that the shapes (rectangles, squares, circles, and spirals) are perfectly symmetrical to one another.
It doesn’t matter when we, as the logo design workers, choose the rectangle, square, or circle base for our golden ratio logos. Many famous brands have proved how applying the golden scale ratio in their logo designs provides the necessary triads for aesthetical values: Beauty, practicality, and no-nonsense designs (or “simplicity”).
These entire things make the ratio’s symmetry becomes an element that makes this proportion universally beautiful. Furthermore, brands whose logos deviate from the golden ratio tend to have lesser aesthetical values since people tend to experience difficulty in recognizing the patterns.
Created by Daniel Rotter | https://dribbble.com/shots/14386788-DR-construction-02
2. The golden scale ratio gives your logo the perfect “boundaries”
We always start with a blank canvas in every of our graphic illustration projects. Then, any projects that involve inputting and producing graphics, lines, shapes, and other visualization elements always have “The sky is the limit” as the primary principle.
Many times, graphic design workers who are new to the industry falsely interpret and apply such principles. As a result, their artwork, drawings, creations, and so on become a total mess since they don’t give “boundaries” to their artwork’s sketches.
Created by Davit Chanadiri | https://dribbble.com/shots/14016879-German-shepherd-grid
Today, many so-called artists propose different sorts of proportional sketches. Nonetheless, the golden ratio or the divine proportion is unlike other methods of sketching. It is also far from being completely random that it will ruin your logo designs.
The golden scale ratio has a definite measurement for all logo design workers, and we can see the resemblance in the 1.618 number combinations.
Even though we can’t be 100% precise with the number, at least we picture the number combination in our mind whenever we visualize any brand’s pictures. That way, we give our graphics or pictures vivid boundaries of where to space and cut between the shaping and lining elements.
Created by Kanhaiya Sharma | https://dribbble.com/shots/9758755-Logo-design-for-Appit
3. The ratio helps you to focus on the coloring and designing areas for your intended logo
This number three reason in answering why the golden ratio matters so much in the logo design world still relates to the divine proportion’s universal and easy-to-remember 1.618 number. This reason also has a strong tie to reason #1: The point that stated the proportion gives perfectly symmetrical shapes.
It does not matter if we treat the 1.618 number as a plain 1.618, as the actual fractions (1.667 that we derive from dividing five with three, for example), or as a comparison between 1 and 618. At least now we know that all graphic design worker has a definite number or proportion to work with, and that figure is the universal 1.618.
Created by DAINOGO | https://dribbble.com/shots/3429136-Deer-logo-with-golden-ratio
Starting from the number, the designers can sketch shapes and draw lines that adhere to the proportional rules. From the sketch, the designers can determine which areas they will continue to draw and color and which areas they should eliminate by using their pencil erasers.
Pepsi is one of the world’s well-known brands to apply the golden ratio in their logo design projects. As with the majority of other brands’ logos that also use the same divine proportion, Pepsi’s logo designers use the symmetrical square shape as the logo’s bases. The basic square shape consists of two overlapping circles, where the small circle is inside the large circle.
Then, Pepsi’s graphic design workers proceed by erasing the basic square shape and focusing on the two overlapping circles. These circles become the focus of coloring and designing the end products. On the other hand, the large square shape doesn’t appear to the audience.
Created by Ashraful | https://dribbble.com/shots/10786029-Golden-Ratio-Spiral
4. The Fibonacci aspect of the ratio teaches you the mathematics of the whole logo creation progresses
Earlier in this article, we’ve disclosed that we can track the divine proportion’s origins from the Fibonacci numbers in mathematics. So, then, we may ask, “ What do designs have to do with the mathematics that the golden ratio becomes so crucial?”
Often, newbie designers love the freedom of free-flowing patterns and logos. They also love to observe professional artists doing abstract painting-related projects. However, they have no ideas about the “mathematics” behind those well-known artists’ amazing works. (See point #2 in this article).
Created by Hassaan Khan | https://dribbble.com/shots/18345083-Biotech-Logo-Design
As a subject, mathematics is known for its rationality. Just as humans’ brains balance their emotions, we can balance the emotionality of our artwork (or the impressions we give through our works) with rationality.
By understanding the mathematics behind the golden ratio, we, like logo design workers, will begin to see the proportionality as our minds are trying to dissect the Fibonacci numbers. We also will start to see how sensible the measurements (lengths, widths, and heights) of those logo artists are using are.
So, these things are the ways Fibonacci and the ratios open us through the eyes of logic. In these ways, the ratio matters because it becomes the anchor to our imaginations.
Created by Tiamin | https://dribbble.com/shots/7053897-Eye-of-Horus-golden-ratio-logo
5. It helps to distinguish your logo from other companies’ logo
Today, many companies and individual designers are using the golden scale ratio for sketching their logos. Such realities also pose a question of whether the ratio still matters in terms of distinguishing our logos from other companies (especially if they’re also using the same proportions).
Here, we can take Nike and the previous Pepsi example as contrasting examples. Both logos have beautiful, simple, and elegant displays, thanks to the correct application of the ratio. Hence, we can distinguish the logos from other competitors that don’t use the ratios.
Created by Nitin Jain | https://dribbble.com/shots/3388407-Peacock-with-logo-grid
However, the two companies have different approaches to producing the results for their graphic visualizations. Almost all people recognize Nike’s swooshing solid-colored pictures without any apparent circular shapes (or other shapes that the designers directly obtain from the proportions’ primary frames) like in Pepsi.
Another close example would be Nike versus Twitter, in which both companies’ designers use the golden ratio formula for crafting their logos.
Even though both logos end with the blunt circular shape at the bottom parts and both use the same spiral bases for their graphics, both companies have different approaches to coloring and further shaping the logos. For instance, Twitter’s logo is almost always in light blue, and we can’t find a bird’s snout in Nike’s visualization.
Created by Oanna Turta | https://dribbble.com/shots/5554278--Archive-Zebra
6. The golden ratio is everywhere, even in typography settings
Many design experts recognize the golden-scaled ratio everywhere they are. They don’t even have to take notes of their surroundings to notice the ratios. Even in their design worlds, we can find the proportions’ applications in every aspect.
Today, almost all big companies are using the golden ratio since they believe these proportional measures are the sure-fire ways to boost their sales while maintaining their brand’s presence.
Toyota and DHL are yet some other big names in the world to use this universally-recognized proportional measure, along with some others that we will dig in deeper in reason #10 in this article.
Created by Burak Bal | https://dribbble.com/shots/5892552-R
While we can find other creative brands and startups that don’t use this proportion, people don’t tend to recognize these brands as much as they do the big names that use the universally-beautiful ratio measurement.
Furthermore, we even see the ratios’ applications in typography settings. The most evident example would be Microsoft Word’s WordArt typographies combined with the rows and columns settings.
There, we can see the symmetrical spacings, shapings, and linings are the “products” of this divine ratio. Even the normally-spaced Word file with its headings, sub-headings, and body texts resemble this magic number through many different lenses.
Created by Drawillusion | https://dribbble.com/shots/4545638-Davinci-Management-Monogram-Logo
7. It is a framework that has a definite step-by-step execute
When we witness the unique figure in action, we’ll see that every execution will begin with either a large-sized square, rectangle, or sometimes a circle shape. Starting from the largest shape (that represents the “Number (or Part) One” in the fraction), we will start to see more shapes.
Earlier in this article’s points of reasons, we already know that the magic number produces several shapes with perfectly symmetrical angles and linings. Now, this reason doesn’t highlight the symmetries that we found in the angles, linings, shapes, and other vector design elements. Instead, we can determine the step-by-step by dissecting the elements.
Created by Kanhaiya Sharma | https://dribbble.com/shots/10449114-appit-app-icon-and-logo-design-golden-ratio-inspired-grid
When we use this framework as our basic proportional measure, we will know that making spirals and creating smaller shapes belong to Step 2 after Step 1 in mapping out the largest shape in our graphic visualizations.
Step 3 would be stressing the lines, spirals, and other shapes inside the largest shape. After that, we will come into Step 4. The fourth step is the execution step, where we color through our creations and add some decorations (typographies, stickers, and more) inside the colored areas and delete the largest shapes that become our primary outline in Step 1.
Here, we see the golden-scaled ratio matters in a logo or vector design world because their step-by-step executions are the most definite. Thus, many designers find it convenient to follow through the steps.
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8. The golden ratio of 1.618 is more precise than other proportions means
Other designers propose the 2:3 proportion. Some others even pay attention to miscellaneous means in scaling their outlines, sketches, and other artwork-related elements like the Rule of Third.
Nonetheless, these whole proportional measurements are no match to the 1.618 magic number when it comes to preciseness. Even the 2:3 proportion or any ratios that involve dividing two close numbers (which, in the end, will produce numbers equal to the 1.6 .... mixtures) don’t work well in some vector-related situations.
Created by DAINOGO | https://dribbble.com/shots/3494695-Pegasus-Logo-with-Golden-Ratio
For instance, we don’t see the 2:3 or the 1:3 (the alternative name for the Rule of Third) so often in 3D or abstract vector design worlds. The latter is mostly applicable through chibi and super-deformed (SD) characters in the logo design.
Then, again, those chibi and SD characters tend to have 2D visualizations, and sometimes, people would have difficulties visualizing them through “the real world’s” precise eyes and measurements.
Hence, the golden-scaled ratio has become one of the central themes in the logo design world. It’s because this figure presents the ideal way to measure design elements in precise ways that other ratios cannot execute. Such things particularly happen when we need to view the designs through the “real-world” or the 3D eyes.
Created by Nelson Fraga | https://dribbble.com/shots/3744937--Lynx
9. We can add elements within the grid
Another reason why the golden ratio matter in logo design is that this ratio provides a framework for the designers to “color between the lines.” In other words, the super-large frame becomes the primary “working space” for the designers to work on their projects.
This #9 reason is different from the previous #2 reason that it doesn’t emphasize only the coloring aspects.
Instead, we would like to focus on the additional design elements, such as the stickers, the company’s unique typographies, and other minor elements in this #9 reason to complement our #2 reason that discusses the major elements (colorings, the larger design themes, and patterns, etc.) in the golden ratio design world.
Created by Alper Tornaci | https://dribbble.com/shots/3133988-Toucan-Travel-Logo-Design-Toucan-Pin
BP plc. doesn’t only have a company name that is so easy to remember (because it only contains two letters, “B” and “P”). This London-based company is also doing an excellent job in adding green-colored typography as the decoration on the left side of the golden ratio graphic image.
The typography itself doesn’t defy much from the main frame, which we believe in having a rectangular shape. We can also see similar things in Chevron’s logo design. Chevron places the bolded typography on top of the golden-scaled ratio logo.
A designer who regularly uses the magic measurement for his/her graphic design project once tried to dissect the shapes and forms in Chevron’s visualization. That designer found that Chevron’s typographies are within the main rectangular shape that becomes its framework.
Created by Mehdi EL Mahboubi | https://dribbble.com/shots/11024871-Vetted-logo-design
10. Many companies all over the world are using it
When we observe the names we mentioned in the earlier reasoning points, we will find that many big names in the world are using the divine measurement for designing their visual representatives.
Apple, Pepsi, Twitter, Nike, DHL, and BP are some of the international companies that have successful applications of such frameworks. The two giants in web browser industries, which are Firefox and Google (Chrome), also use the similar figure as their bases for designing their logos.
Created by Kanhaiya Sharma | https://dribbble.com/shots/10882505-Passika-Creations-Art-Gallery-PC-logo
Even the most basic web browser, which is Internet Explorer (IE), also uses this type of magic number for the designs of their most updated version. A lot of Microsoft’s program elements, such as the WordArt and the column settings, also use the same figure.
Even then, many conventional newspapers are using the same scale, sometimes without the staff even knowing what they are doing. All their internals think it is just beautiful, just like the viewers who can immediately place the company’s name inside their heads more conveniently right after observing their pictures more closely.
Hence, these things also become the reason why the golden ratio matters a lot in the design world. A lot of companies have proved their beauty, and we can do the same to brand our products, too.
Created by Casign | https://dribbble.com/shots/4901641-GOLDEN-RATIO-BIRD
Final Words
There are reasons why do logo designers who consistently use the golden ratio in their projects have more project wins and positive client testimonies than the designers who either don’t consistently apply the ratio or simply not apply it at all.
The universal aesthetical value is only one of the reasons. Here, we’ve provided you with nine other reasons why this divine proportion is so crucial in the logo design world.
