The Golden ratio in the age of communication and information technology

Abstract

This paper is based on two main theses. The first one, according to a research of Gustav Fechner, people have sustainable preferences to forms with proportions, close to Golden ratio. The second these is that human perception and aesthetical criteria can be developed and trained. Having mind the fact, that in this moment the lifestyle and especially dynamic presentation and perception of the information (television, monitors, mobile devices) by people are absolutely different from the moment when the Fechner's experiment is made (before more than 100 years). It is possible a change to be expected in the human's preferences. In the context of the subject matter may be noted the fact, that in March 2011 the 16∶9 resolution 1920×1080 became the most common used resolution among Steam's users. In the present paper are shown the results from repeating of Fechner's experiment, made between 65 persons at the age of 18–20. According to the data obtained, respondents indicated the most harmonious and preferred proportions are 1∶1, 2∶1 and 1,78∶1 (which in practice is well known aspect ratio 16∶ 9). Golden ratio takes the fourth position.