11/19/2016

AnotherFastOnebyFastCoDesignontheGoldenRatio?

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Youarehere:Home/Blog/AnotherFastOnebyFastCoDesignontheGoldenRatio?

AnotherFastOnebyFastCoDesignontheGoldenRatio?
July4,2015byGaryMeisner3Comments

Wasitroutinesitemaintenanceor
censorshipatFastCoDesign?
Whydeletereadercomments?OnApril13,2015,FastCoDesign.comtookastandondesignwithanarticleby
JohnBrownleetitledTheGoldenRatio:DesignsBiggestMythTheGoldenRatioisTotalNonsensein
Design.HeresWhy.(Findarticlehere.)BytheendofJune2015,thearticlehadhundredsofcommentsfrom
readers,almostentirelynegative,asreadersexpressedtheiranger,disappointmentandfrustrationatthe
ignorance,inaccuraciesandbiasinthepoorlyresearchedandlamelywrittenarticle.
http://www.goldennumber.net/didfastcodesigncensorreadercommentsonthegoldenratio/

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11/19/2016

AnotherFastOnebyFastCoDesignontheGoldenRatio?

Andthenallthecommentsjustdisappeared!
Descriptionsofthearticleusedbyreadersincludedappalling,sensationalist,dangerous,stupid,under
informednonsense,anexerciseinignoranceandconceit,seethingwithmisinformation,misleading,utter
nonsense,profoundignorance,lame,entirelyincorrect,clickbait,whatatroll,simplistic,naive,puerile,
opinionated,unsophisticated,boring,fallacious,disappointment,disservice,irrational,illthoughtout,
dismissive,vitriolicnonsense,thedumbestarticleonFastcoDesign,aperfectexampleoftotalcrap
journalismandDERP,justtonameafew.
Why?SeemyanalysisoftheFastCoDesignarticlehereforstarters,andthencommentsfromothersbelow.

Readersdisappointedbythesensationalisttoneandbias.Even
dangerous.
AsdescribedinthearticlesfirstnewcommentpostedonJuly2,2015byDarrinCrescenzi,
Atonepointthisarticlehadhundredsofcomments(sincedeleted?).Manywerefromadesign
communityreadershipdisappointedbytheauthorssensationalisttoneandtheconfirmationbias
demonstratedbytheexamplescited.Heresacounterpoint,fromadesigner(me)whousesvisual
harmoniesintheirworkallthetime:http://bit.ly/1G3zQOH.
DarrinCrescenziisadesignerbasedinNewYorkCity.HeisDesignDirectorofInnovationatInterbrandNew
York,frequentlyquotedinFastCoDesignasanauthorityondesignandoneofFastCompanymagazines100
MostCreativePeopleinBusiness.
Hisexcellentarticle,WhytheGoldenRatiomatters.IndefenseofusingvisualharmoniesinDesignstates
thisabouttheFastoCoDesignarticlebyJohnBrownlee:
ItisabitofwritingthatisatbestunnecessaryandsensationalistAtworst,comingfroma
contentplatformthathasrapidlyrisentotheforefrontofdesigndiscourse,itisdangerous.
Thatmaysoundlikeasevereoverreaction,butheresmyconcern:Asthedesignfieldexpands,
manydesigneducationprogramshavereplacedfundamentaltenetsofvisualcommunication
thingslikesemiotics,gestalttheoryofcomposition,typesettinginfavorofteachingsoftwareand
topicalsurveylikeclasses.Iworrythatmanyinexperiencedoraspiringdesignersareillequipped
toparseintelligentdesigndiscoursefromunderinformednonsense.
Sowhileitscertainlynotnecessarytodefendtheuseofmathematicalconstantsindesign,andat
theriskofgivinganinanepieceofwritingmoreexposurethanitdeserves,Iamcompelledtoput
outapointofviewonthepieceonbehalfofdesignersthearticleclaimsdontexistthose
whoapplyvisualharmonies,especiallytheGoldenRatio,onaneardailybasisinhopesthat
otherdesignerscanlearnsomethingabouttheimportanceofmathematicsinvisualdesign.
Whytakethison?ImadailyreaderofFastCompanyandFastCoDesign.Fulldisclosure,Ihave
beenquotedintheirpublicationasanauthorityondesignrelatedtopicsandbeennamedto
theirMostCreativePeopleinBusinesslist.Theirhugelyinfluentialroleininformingthebroader
publicsunderstandingofDesignisnosmallpartinmycompulsiontopenthisrant.Asadesigner
andfrequentreaderIhaveexpectationsfordesigndiscoursethatareloftierthanclickbaiting
hottakes.Apparentlysodoothersinthereadership,basedonactivityinthearticles
commentfeed.
TheHuffingtonPostalsorebuttedBrownleeandDevlininanarticletitledTheRectangleisStillGoldenby
architectLanceHosey,authorofTheShapeofGreen:Aesthetics,EcologyandDesignamongotherbooks.

Thedeletedcomments:Whereisthecredibility,integrityand
accountabilityinjournalism?
DidallthecommentsdisappearfromFastCoDesignbecauseofnormalsitemaintenance,orwasthisdeliberate
censorshiptocoveruptheoverwhelminglynegativeresponsetoanembarrassing,tabloidstylepieceof
http://www.goldennumber.net/didfastcodesigncensorreadercommentsonthegoldenratio/

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