Here at Pumpkin Web Design Manchester, we are Manchester’s leading web design experts, and we provide high quality, effective, web design solutions for a range of local companies and businesses across Manchester, and the surrounding area. This includes Blackburn and Stockport. As a result, we have produced this guide to everything you should know about the golden ratio in web design.
So, what is the golden ratio in web design?
The golden ratio is a mathematical application of design that derives from nature, that is believed to be the most pleasing design for the human eye. This is a design that is seen time and time again across nature, including plant shape, shells and even within the human face. This involves dividing an object by the ratio of 1 to 1.618, with content split between these points in an almost circular or spiral design. For web design, as in print design, using a grid based on this golden ratio can make your visual design instantly appealing, although there are some drawbacks.
How can you design with the golden ratio in mind?
While the golden ratio has proven to be effective in art, architecture, engineering and design, for web design this can be a difficult feature to implement. This is because of responsive design, and the different size screens used by different devices. While you may achieve the perfect layout in line with the golden ration for the desktop version of your website, this may not scale down to something usable for your mobile website. So what can you do? Well, you could consider:
- Using a guide space- you can use the ratio to create a guide space for the whole screen, and layout elements within this shape, where appropriate. This can be very effective, especially for desktop design. But it also means that there is a lot more flexibility for creating your mobile website too.
- Apply this to small design features- Instead of applying the golden ratio to your overall website layout, you could instead consider using this for the smaller design features, like the logo or the heading positioning. This can be an effective way to ensure that your mobile and desktop website match up.
- Spacing- use the ratio to establish the right kind of spacing and white space for your website elements, between images and text etc. This can help ensure that the eye is directed to key features, and can make the design more visually effective.
For more information or advice, or for high quality, professional web design solutions, get in touch with the experts today, here at Pumpkin Web Design Manchester.