Whether or not you've previously employed the golden ratio, artists like Salvador Dali and Le Corbusier have sworn by its aesthetic pleasure for nearly a century and a half. Its inception, however, dates back 2,300 years, where it can be found Euclid's Elements.

Here's the mathematical definition: two objects are in the golden ratio if their ratio equals the ratio of their sum to the larger of the two quantities. After the math, if you get a value of 1.6180, then these two objects fall within the golden ratio.


The golden ratio locates the proportional perfection in your surroundings.

The most famous application of the golden ratio, however, is the golden rectanglea shape which can be split into a perfect square and a smaller rectangle that has the same aspect ratio as the rectangle from which it was cut.

Now, the design company Areaware has created a pocket-sized golden rectangle that can be used as a viewfinder to find the golden ratio.

Golden2Areaware's Golden Section Finder

“Historically, artists, designers, and architects have used [the golden ratio] as a means of defining beauty in a theoretical rather than intuitive way,” says the product's description. “Use the Golden Section Finder, a pocket-sized gazing device, to locate the proportional perfection in your surroundings.”

GoldenAreaware's Golden Section Finder

Even if you don't believe in the legitimacies of the golden ratio, you can try out the Golden Section Finder here in either blue or yellow for $10, or pick both up as a bundle for just $18. For that kind of cash, it's at least worth experimenting.