THE GOLDEN RATIO IN LOGO DESIGN: MYTH OR MUST-HAVE?

From the ancient Greeks to the Mona Lisa to the Pepsi logo, the Golden Ratio is as prolific as it is intriguing.

This mathematical phenomenon – known by many names, including the Golden Mean, Divine Proportion or simply the Greek letter ϕ (Phi) – has a loyal following among creatives who believe it’s the key to timeless logo design. 

Others argue that the Golden Ratio is overused, and logos that rely on the ratio run the risk of looking repetitive and uninspired.

So, is ϕ really the most aesthetically pleasing ratio to the human eye? And what does it mean for your brand’s logo?

It’s a common conversation among our Darwin logo design team, so let’s look closer at whether the Golden Mean is a marvel or a myth. 

What is the Golden Ratio, exactly? 
In simple terms, the Golden Ratio is a mathematical ratio of 1:1.618. In slightly less simple terms, the Golden Ratio appears when the balance between two numbers is the same as the ratio between their sum and the larger of the two quantities.