Comments on: Proportional Design Technique: My Biggest Design Secret, Revealed (Free Book!) http://www.kadavy.net/blog/posts/proportional-design-technique-my-biggest-design-secret-revealed-free-book/ Get to know David Kadavy Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:29:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Gary Turovsky http://www.kadavy.net/blog/posts/proportional-design-technique-my-biggest-design-secret-revealed-free-book/comment-page-1/#comment-994 Gary Turovsky Thu, 12 Feb 2009 04:33:43 +0000 http://www.kadavy.net/?p=533#comment-994 I think the golden ratio is really neat. But it's pretty hard to know how to apply it. I've run into the situations where I've stared at something pretty, took my thumb and index finger and tried to "squish it" into the golden rectangle/spiral to no avail. So, my hypothesis has been that the proportion works best when there is an obvious set of constraints for an element of the design to work against. For example, the sunflower has to pack as many seeds into a circular space as possible and with as little energy as possible, using as few rules as possible. So, you got all these little genes in the sunflower saying "Form seed", "Rotate position by golden mean", "Loop" (sorry, programmer mind). I've always thought that, if I can take a piece of something I suspect is using the golden ratio and imagine moving it a bit to the left or right and seeing some consequence, then it must be intentional. That is, you can't just enforce the golden ratio on something irrelevant to the balance of some important factors. I think, in the case of your video, the golden ratio helps differentiate the content (probably more, but that's what I'm catching consciously). Anyways, thought I'd get my chance at a free book :) By the way, I love the fact that your photo has a golden rectangle thing going on. You really are hooked on this stuff. :) I think the golden ratio is really neat. But it’s pretty hard to know how to apply it. I’ve run into the situations where I’ve stared at something pretty, took my thumb and index finger and tried to “squish it” into the golden rectangle/spiral to no avail. So, my hypothesis has been that the proportion works best when there is an obvious set of constraints for an element of the design to work against.

For example, the sunflower has to pack as many seeds into a circular space as possible and with as little energy as possible, using as few rules as possible. So, you got all these little genes in the sunflower saying “Form seed”, “Rotate position by golden mean”, “Loop” (sorry, programmer mind).

I’ve always thought that, if I can take a piece of something I suspect is using the golden ratio and imagine moving it a bit to the left or right and seeing some consequence, then it must be intentional. That is, you can’t just enforce the golden ratio on something irrelevant to the balance of some important factors. I think, in the case of your video, the golden ratio helps differentiate the content (probably more, but that’s what I’m catching consciously).

Anyways, thought I’d get my chance at a free book :)

By the way, I love the fact that your photo has a golden rectangle thing going on. You really are hooked on this stuff. :)

]]> By: kadavy http://www.kadavy.net/blog/posts/proportional-design-technique-my-biggest-design-secret-revealed-free-book/comment-page-1/#comment-993 kadavy Thu, 12 Feb 2009 03:33:24 +0000 http://www.kadavy.net/?p=533#comment-993 Great point, Mark. I forgot to mention that. I very rarely actually execute this method in this manner when I'm really designing, but after doing so meticulously many times - I do find that if I check, my work will inherently have these qualities. I guess Malcom Gladwell is right in "Blink" when he suggests that years of practice can build up intuition in things that are technically complex. Great point, Mark. I forgot to mention that. I very rarely actually execute this method in this manner when I’m really designing, but after doing so meticulously many times – I do find that if I check, my work will inherently have these qualities. I guess Malcom Gladwell is right in “Blink” when he suggests that years of practice can build up intuition in things that are technically complex.

]]> By: Mark Schweitzer http://www.kadavy.net/blog/posts/proportional-design-technique-my-biggest-design-secret-revealed-free-book/comment-page-1/#comment-992 Mark Schweitzer Thu, 12 Feb 2009 03:29:34 +0000 http://www.kadavy.net/?p=533#comment-992 The video demonstrates the concept very well. What is perhaps most thought-provoking (or distressing, or unfair, or amazing) is that there are designers who's output neatly demonstrates these principles and who manage to perform this magic unconsciously. Scary. The video demonstrates the concept very well. What is perhaps most thought-provoking (or distressing, or unfair, or amazing) is that there are designers who’s output neatly demonstrates these principles and who manage to perform this magic unconsciously. Scary.

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