Golden ratio in the design of the iPod
The Apple iPod is the world’s most beautiful MP3 player.
The iPod was designed by Jonathan Ive and his team of designers. Their goal was to create the perfect product. They achieved this with an extreme amount of attention to detail.
One aspect of the design is the basic shape of the device. The rectangle that is the iPod comes closer than any other MP3 player to the golden ratio 1 : 1.618 (also sometimes called the golden section). This ratio appeals to us at an unconscious level.
Attractive human faces have proportions that correspond to the golden ratio, indeed, the human body itself exemplifies this ratio, the Greek Parthenon and many other famous ancient monuments use the ratio throughout their design, the logarithmic spiral on a Nautilus Shell conforms the to golden ratio and even a TV image using those proportion is more appealing (that’s why widescreen TV is 16:10). The golden section is deeply ingrained in the design of the Universe. We can’t help but be attracted by it.
Here are the ratios of several popular MP3 players:
1 : 1.67 = iPod
1 : 1.75 = iRiver H10
1 : 1.47 = Creative Nomad Zen Xtra
The iRiver is too tall, the Nomad is far too fat, but the iPod’s shape, though also slightly too tall, comes closest to this magic ratio. It is certainly no accident that it is the most visually appealing. I am however surprised that no other company has created an MP3 player that exactly uses the golden section (the iRiver H320 comes close by using the same ratio as the iPod, but otherwise looks like an ugly brick - sigh).
So remember, whenever you design anything try to use this golden ratio and people will become instinctively attracted.
January 6th, 2006 at 8:08 pm
[...] deltaflow » Blog Archive » Golden ratio in the design of the iPod Golden ratio in the design of the iPod [...]
January 8th, 2006 at 4:37 pm
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You should publish some of your stories at http://www.blogreporter.biz/
January 8th, 2006 at 6:37 pm
[...] read more | digg story [...]
January 8th, 2006 at 8:14 pm
Most all marketing is based on this. look at the boxes at the food store.
January 8th, 2006 at 10:15 pm
such rubbish. the golden ratio is just *one* way to make things look aesthetically. if you theory was right, then the ipod wouldnt be anything like perfect. neither is the ratio of its screen conform to the golden ratio nor is the it in the third dimension. the ipod is just very nice because of its simplicity. the designer was very consequent while thinking about the ipod’s look.
saying that the ipod has “the perfect design” is idiotic anyway. that’s like saying mony lisa was the perfect painting. there is no “perfect” in art. there is just great and not so great. both lying in the eye of the viewer.
January 8th, 2006 at 10:39 pm
[...] 08 January 2006 [Design] Goldener Schnitt, iPod und die Fibonacci-Folge Feine Details entscheiden oft über den Erfolg. Eine solche entscheidende Kleinigkeit hat JulianMalik Seidenberg [1] entdeckt, nämlich die Proportionen des iPod (1:1,67) im Vergleich zu iRiver H10 (1:1,75) und Creative Nomad Zen Xtra (1:1,45). Das Team um Jonathan Ive [2] hat die Regel des Goldenen Schnitts [3] genutzt um seine Kreation harmonisch wirken zu lassen. iRiver ist dagegen zu hoch, Zen zu breit und erscheint klobig. Der Goldene Schnitt ist das Längenverhältnis zweier Strecken, bei dem sich die größere (Major) zur kleineren (Minor) Strecke verhält, wie die Summe der beiden Strecken zum größeren Teil. Klingt komisch, ist aber so … Der Goldene Schnitt bezeichnet ein Teilungsverhältnis, den die Menschen als besonders harmonisch empfinden und der sich in der Natur überall vorfindet. Wie gesagt, kleiner aber feiner Unterschied. Davon verstehen die Mac-Designer was. Interessanterweise spielt der goldene Schnitt nicht nur im Design, sondern auch in der Mathematik eine wichtige Rolle. Die Zahlenfolge 1,2,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55,89,144,… nennt man Fibonacci-Folge, die Glieder dieser Folge Fibonacci-Zahlen. Die Folge der Quotienten zweier aufeinander folgender Zahlen in der Fibonacci-Folge konvergiert gegen? Klar, gegen das Verhältnis des Goldenen Schnittes. Eigentlich wollte der gute Fibonacci folgende Fragestellung lösen: “Wie viele Kaninchenpaare gibt es am Ende eines Jahre, wenn im Januar 1 Paar zur Welt kommt und wenn es ab dem Alter von 2 Monaten jedes Paar jeden Monat ein weiteres Paar in die Welt setzt?”, und stiß dabei auf eine der wohl bedeutensten und nützlichsten Zahlenfolgen in der Mathematik. Diese Folge bildet die Grundlage für die Planung wichtiger Bauwerke, beispielsweise der Kuppel des Domes von Florenz. Oder des iPods. Als Beispiel zur Verwendung der Fibonacci-Zahlen im Web dient die Website eines Weltkonzerns aus Erlangen. Mehr sag ich nicht. [1] http://www.deltaflow.com/?p=1992 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Ive3 http://did.mat.uni-bayreuth.de/mmlu/goldenerschnitt/lu/ . . . . . . posted on 21:38:41 GMT Standard Time | Comments [0] [...]
January 8th, 2006 at 11:35 pm
Creative Zen Micro is 2×3.3, which i believe is 1 : 1.65. That’s closer than the iPod.
Not sure i think that all things must be that ratio, but… in those pictures up there, you’re right, iPod has the best ratio.
January 9th, 2006 at 1:42 am
The ratio of the dimensions of the iPod itself may not be exactly phi, but the ratio of the diameter of the click wheel to the width of the iPod is.
January 9th, 2006 at 5:22 am
[...] deltaflow » Blog Archive » Golden ratio in the design of the iPod Get your proportions right. (tags: design) [...]
January 9th, 2006 at 1:44 pm
you spoke no words about the golden ratio, just lame i-pods…
how boring…
January 9th, 2006 at 7:33 pm
“I saw it on the internet–so it must be true”
January 9th, 2006 at 8:13 pm
The Golden Ratio is also what is mentioned in the book the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. It is a very important part of the whole story and is explained rather well. The divine perfect number.
January 9th, 2006 at 10:15 pm
the ratio of the dell pocket dj is even closer, 1.66666 etc. (3.5×2.1) .
January 9th, 2006 at 10:53 pm
I can agree that the iPod is the most visually appealing on the surface level… But lets face reality here- the iRiver is much more functional and has better hardware.
The iPod has one of the worst UIs I think I’ve ever seen. The concept is interesting, but it’s too obnoxious to deal with. And its a known fact that the batteries fail repeatedly and the screens are easily scratched.
January 10th, 2006 at 8:44 pm
In tests concerning preference for things made up of the golden ratio the evidence has pointed to people not really noticing if something had the right ratio or not. Check out “The Golden Ratio” a book by Mario Livio. He talks about how that number has been assigned a great deal of meaning where no meaning really exists. That’s also where I saw the results for the preference surveys.
January 11th, 2006 at 6:18 am
Also, go to your local video rental store, and look up a movie called ‘Ï€’ (Pi, as in 3.14) Its about a brilliant mathemetician who is attempting to use the Golden Ratio to predict the stock market, gets involved with an ubersecret branch of the US government and a power-hungry rabbitical order, and eventually begins to discover how the Golden Ratio answers the pentultimate question: the meaning of life!
I enjoyed it. A friend of mine could not stand it. Watch it anyway, and make up your own mind.
January 11th, 2006 at 2:52 pm
[...] Golden ratio in the design of the iPod [...]
January 14th, 2006 at 5:37 am
[...] deltaflow » Blog Archive » Golden ratio in the design of the iPod (tags: design) [...]
December 27th, 2006 at 11:38 am
“So remember, whenever you design anything try to use this golden ratio and people will become instinctively attracted”
Yeah, i don’t think it’s that simple.
January 17th, 2007 at 9:33 am
[...] I gave a talk before on the golden ratio, so when I came across this blog entry Ipod and the golden ratio via Gooseania, I had better save this link in case I have to give the same talk again. [...]
February 4th, 2007 at 1:57 am
The success of the iPod is due to good marketing (with iTunes to boot), not just its looks.
I havent seen an advert on TV for any other mp3 player.
March 20th, 2007 at 1:29 pm
[...] From deltaflow- Attractive human faces have proportions that correspond to the golden ratio, indeed, the human body itself exemplifies this ratio, the Greek Parthenon and many other famous ancient monuments use the ratio throughout their design, the logarithmic spiral on a Nautilus Shell conforms the to golden ratio and even a TV image using those proportion is more appealing (that’s why widescreen TV is 16:10). The golden section is deeply ingrained in the design of the Universe. We can’t help but be attracted by it. [...]
May 3rd, 2007 at 6:20 pm
[...] Following up the hint in the movie I measured my iPod — 10/4 = 1.67 . This blogger thinks this is close enough to relate the design of the iPod to phi. [...]
May 8th, 2007 at 6:28 am
I think it would be a harder decision visually if the Meizu Miniplayer was part of this comparison. It falls just in line with the iPod, but I think the Miniplayer looks better.
May 25th, 2007 at 7:10 am
I thought that the aspect ratio of widescreen TV is 16:9. Correct me if I am wrong?
May 26th, 2007 at 9:20 am
Hilary…you are no doubt RIGHT!
May 26th, 2007 at 9:25 am
What about Pollock’s work? =)
July 12th, 2007 at 3:39 pm
Please look at http://www.goldenmeangauge.co.uk to see the way you can use the gauge to solve your design problems, with 100% confidence, that everyone will agree the the proportion looks right.
November 27th, 2007 at 10:49 pm
[...] admin, 11.28.07 at 12:49 am :: Günlük :: permalink :: rss Tasarım ve kullanılabilirlik üzerine bir ÅŸeyler okurken karşıma altın oran(”Golden Ratio”) çıktı. Altın oran çok acayip bir ÅŸey. Bitkilerde, hayvanlarda, piramitlerde, insan vücudunda, hatta dna moleküllerinde bile karşınıza çıkıyor. KeÅŸfedildikten sonra yüzyıllarca incelenmiÅŸ, hakkında ciltlerce kitap yazılmış. Estetik aranan; sanatta, mimaride, endüstriyel tasarımda ve her yerde uygulanmış; halen de uygulanıyor. iPodlarda dahi, ekran ve boy oranı altın oranmış. Ä°ÅŸte bir kaç link daha. [...]
June 28th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
marketing is the art of selling to statistics.
so for the select few who have the brainpower to realize that this particular phi concept is absurd and are more inclined to choose functionality over mass appeal then yes these sort of marketing strategies need not apply to you/i but statistics say otherwise, refer to first line
October 17th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
Chanced on this site by accident trying to follow through leads on fibonacci. I had a medium to poor MP3 player, relunctantly exchanged for a better - the better is a stick, and the former, I’m sure, was close to the Golden Ratio, hence the reluctance of the exchange. I took delight at looking at my Redford, but more delight in the functionality of my new one. I am writing on a Toshiba laptop, for which I fell, in the first instance, on the shape. Functionality happily matches shape! I haven’t yet measured its dimensions but am pretty certain it’s in the Golden Ratio. Surely the happiest combination is of aesthetics with functionality?
April 28th, 2009 at 9:58 am
deltaflow » Blog Archive » Golden ratio in the design of the iPod: Dr. Julian Seidenberg / Candidasa dasaperfect and great article thank you
April 28th, 2009 at 9:58 am
deltaflow » Blog Archive » Golden ratio in the design of the iPod: Dr. Julian Seidenberg / Candidasa dasaperfect and great article thank you
April 28th, 2009 at 11:32 am
deltaflow » Blog Archive » Golden ratio in the design of the iPod: Dr. Julian Seidenberg / Candidasa dasa great article thank you.