The golden mean is nature’s perfect standard — a synergy that could not be missed when creating our branding and logo.

standards.org.au

behind Standards Australia’s logo

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Golden Meann1: The proportional relationship between two divisions of line or two dimensions of a plane figure such that short : long :: long

: (short + long) {syn: golden section}

The name ‘golden mean’ first seemed to have been used in the form sectio aurea, ‘golden section’, by Leonardo da Vinci. The use of the symbol f to represent the

golden ratio was invented by an American mathematician and taken from the first

Greek letter in the name of the Greek sculptor Phidias, who was long believed to have used the golden ratio in his designs.

Our logo, inspired by the work of Leonardo da Vinci, was created

to represent our independence, credibility and aspirations to enrich the quality of life of all Australians.

It is a symbol of our reputation as a trusted organisation that operates with integrity.

Signifying rigour, vigilance and responsibility, our logo captures our

focus on being responsive, capable and successful and is a mark of Standards

Australia’s efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability.

A visual representation of who we are:Fittingly, our beautiful logo was created around a ratio known as the ‘golden mean’, ‘divine proportion’ or ‘golden ratio’.

The golden mean is a mathematical expression of proportion that Leonardo da Vinci and other ancient philosophers observed throughout the natural world.

It can be found throughout the universe: from the spirals of galaxies to the spiral of a seashell; from the harmonics of music to the beauty and aesthetics in art. It has been attributed to the growth patterns of flowers and plants, observed in the behaviour of light and atoms, used in architecture and in the construction of human anatomy.

The simplest geometrical example of the ratio is the golden rectangle, whose sides have unequal length but whose shape the Greeks found aesthetically pleasing. It has been claimed, though not substantiated, that if you draw a rectangle around the face of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the ratio of the height-to-width of that rectangle is equal to the golden ratio.

What makes the golden ratio special is the number of mathematical properties it possesses.

The golden ratio is the only number whose square can be produced simply by adding 1 and whose reciprocal by subtracting 1. If you take a golden rectangle – one whose length-to-breadth is in the golden ratio – and snip out a square, what remains is another, smaller golden rectangle.

Q: In developing the identity for Standards Australia, the question was asked, if Standards Australia was to be replicated in a human form, who or what would that person be like?

A: A genius, an expert in many fields, a thinker, an innovator, advanced, and driven to elevate humanity. Who better than Leonardo da Vinci.

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