Hi all,

I don't want to be disrespectively, but I think that's not the best example of the beauty a GUI can get from the golden ratio. I know Geoff mostly from Tek Tips and must say, he could do better. I think the form would look better with lines seperating the areas of the form, in the typical 3D look groove such a seperator is normally done.

The golden ratio itself is ideal for a rectangle, if you want it looking like a typical rectangle. According to cinematic picture ratios widescreen or 16:9 is better for the eyes. On the other side texts typically are printed in rather slim columns in a newspaper, because it's easier to find the next line, if paragraphs aren't that wide. This text is also some nice example. It would be easier to read it, if you could make frame more narrow and that would effect the text display.

To make it easier for the eye, some rules of thumbs are:

-Position similar controls/buttons you have throughout several or even all forms of an app in the same position.

-Have many aligned elements to make it easy for the eye to jump in rows and columns

-use seperators to group controls in areas.

-Have some variations from a rigid grid look

Eg it's very good that the "Site code" and "Postcode" textboxes are not as wide as the other textboxes. You can remember such a form design better than if everything would be equally wide and a user will recognise at first sight, if he choose the correct menu or toolbar button as if all forms would look totally equal. But then, what's disturbing is, that those two textboxes of "Site" and "Postcode" are differently wide.

The Save/Revert/Close buttons look misplaced, their placement only looks good in the colored form. Without showing those areas with seperator lines or colors I'd rather let the buttons be on the forms edge the same margin to the right as to the bottom as between each other.

As we read left to right and top to bottom, the close button is okay at the lower right. I think it's good additional to the normal close ("X") button in the title bar of windows, I'd not suppress that. Redundance of functions in a form isn't bad design. Giving the user many ways to do the same thing gives everyone the choice to use an app as he likes.

All in all there are many things more important in form design, than the golden ratio. That has more importance in proportions of bodies in paintings or in general in geometry. And a rectangular form surely looks more natural than a square or even a circular shaped form. Depends a bit on the application. a circle may be a nice design for a CD burning or labeling software...

Bye, Olaf.