The Golden Ratio
Apple's logo artists have infused the iCloud logo with some mathematical elegance. In this case, the golden ratio or φ.

The circles in the 'puffs' of the iCloud are sized in a ratio of 1:1.6, an approximation of golden ratio, as discovered by Australian designer Alan van Roemburg. It seems unlikely the proportion was unintentional; Apple's artists simply have an acute sense of the history of design and mathematics.

The golden ratio has been around since at least Euclid and Pythagoras. Fans of the Da Vinci Code should know it too, as Dan Brown has referenced φ several times in his books. No wonder iCloud seems so elegant and aesthetically pleasing.

Hat tip to John Gruber

Update: The original source of the image appears to have been Takamasa Matsumoto.

Top Rated Comments

emaja Avatar
171 months ago
So, how long before Apple gets sued by these Euclid and Pythagoras guys - whoever they are - for using their proprietary ratios?

...and yes, this is a poor attempt at humor.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Hellhammer Avatar
171 months ago
I highly doubt this was intentional. They probably created a set of circles, copied and pasted them, rotated them, and there's your 'golden' ratio.

Giving them too much credit.

You would be surprised to see how widely the Golden Ratio is used.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmaVqkR0ZXg&feature=related
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Consultant Avatar
171 months ago
This is by far the Best MacRumors article ever!
Except that Alan (June 15) is not the one who discovered it (http://stam-design-stam.blogspot.com/2011/06/icloud.html) (on June 9). Alan seems to be intentionally shady too.

Explained in the second part of the article: http://obamapacman.com/2011/06/icloud-logo-designed-with-triple-golden-ratio/

After iCloud was announced, I found their icon to be eerily similar to the CloudApp that's been on the app store for quite awhile..the only difference is one additional circle on the left. getcloudapp.com/[/URL] hasn't anyone else noticed this?
MobileMe was established before getcloudapp.

It's like that MobileMe had the icon before this other company did.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nagromme Avatar
171 months ago
Giving them too much credit. They don't care about the minor details that much.

Image (http://i.imgur.com/74B5Z.png3)
I agree with that -- but you'd also be surprised how widely the Golden Ratio is used, unintentionally :)
Exactly. The mystique of the Golden Ratio is fun, but reality is more boring :)

I know the iCloud post was just for fun, so I’m not slamming it. But as a matter of interest: the Golden Ratio has NOT been intentionally used by great artists through history. You can find something “close” to that ratio in any image if you look for it. It’s like finding faces in clouds (no pun).

You could pick ANY ratio, say, 11-to-17, and find something very close to it somewhere in just about any image.

In modern times, the ratio is better-known and some certainly do use it. Apple may have too... but it’s a little off (thanks, stewart) and given that it was designed on a computer, I think the golden ratio in the logo is nothing intentional.

Read Mario Livio’s book, The Golden Ratio: The Story of Phi. And you won’t be disappointed: for every myth about The Golden Ratio that he dismantles on solid historical research, there’s some other thing you never knew about the number that’s even cooler, AND true. (Like the ways that numbers related to it appear in nature.)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Gav2k Avatar
171 months ago
Very apple like
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
luke.mac1 Avatar
171 months ago
I can't believe I'm the first to post this...

I guess every iCloud has a golden lining...
(p.s. i know it's supposed to be silver lol)
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Production Will Reportedly Begin Ramping Up in October

Tuesday July 23, 2024 2:00 pm PDT by
Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature

iPhone 17 Lineup Specs Detail Display Upgrade and New High-End Model

Monday July 22, 2024 4:33 am PDT by
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island

Kuo: Ultra-Thin iPhone 17 to Feature A19 Chip, Single Rear Camera, Semi-Titanium Frame, and More

Wednesday July 24, 2024 9:06 am PDT by
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
maxresdefault

These 5 Features Will Make the iPhone 17 the Biggest Update in Years

Monday July 22, 2024 4:02 pm PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 16 models that we're expecting to see in September are going to be quite similar to the iPhone 15 models, but rumors suggest that Apple is making big changes in 2025. We've been hearing hints of an all-new device in the iPhone lineup, and it may be the most expensive iPhone Apple has offered to date. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. New 'Slim'...
iOS 18 on iPhone Feature

Everything New in iOS 18 Beta 4

Tuesday July 23, 2024 1:08 pm PDT by
Apple released the fourth beta of iOS 18 today, introducing small changes to a number of features throughout the operating system. There are no big additions in this beta, but Apple is continuing to refine existing settings and design choices. Apple plans to continue updating iOS 18 over the next few months, with the update set to be released this fall. We've rounded up all of the changes...
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 Rumored to Launch Early Next Year With OLED Display, 48MP Camera, and More

Monday July 22, 2024 7:22 am PDT by
The fourth-generation iPhone SE will offer a series of major upgrades over the current model, the leaker known as "Ice Universe" claims. The information was listed in a post on Weibo, which also detailed the specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup. As previously rumored, the fourth-generation iPhone SE is expected to feature Face ID and USB-C, marking a major upgrade from current and previous ...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature Purple

iPhone 17 Rumored to Feature Mechanical Aperture

Tuesday July 23, 2024 9:32 am PDT by
Apple is planning to release at least one iPhone 17 model next year with mechanical aperture, according to a report published today by The Information. The mechanical system would allow users to adjust the size of the iPhone 17's aperture, which refers to the opening of the camera lens through which light enters. All existing iPhone camera lenses have fixed apertures, but some Android...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Less Than Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Thursday July 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...