The short answer is it depends. If, by valid, we mean always and universally true, then no. By this standard, all design rules are nonsense. The Rule of Thirds is an arbitrary line for amateurs to gaze upon while secretly learning to shift your brain’s natural tendency to center things and create symmetry. A rule of fourths, fifths, or sixes would be just as valid, as would a rule of Move Your Feet, Dummy!

The Golden Ratio is bollocks. There’s no such thing in nature. The number 1.618••• isn’t even as significant as the number 42. At least the latter can explain all of reality. Instead of a Golden Ratio, Spiral, or Parakeet, if we study nature’s designs, we learn that logarithmic curves appeal to the human eye. Pick one, and understand that the right curve depends on lighting, movement, motion, and a host of other factors.

Simply put, the more you study design, the more you learn there are no magical rules. There’s simply an almost infinite toolkit, and more tools you have, the better. Check out the excellent video below to learn more about this, especially in regards to the Golden Bollocks we discussed above. Did you know The Parthenon is mostly a bunch of curved lines designed to make the structure look straight? I didn’t.

The more you know, as they say.