A scaling fallacy is one where people believe, wrongly, that something at a certain size will automatically work at a different size (bigger or smaller). This can be related to in many areas of design, production, economics, and engineering. An example: a car that can drive 100mph with a 2.0 liter engine should not be expected to be able to drive 200mph with a 4.0 liter engine.
Example of Scaling Fallacy
Source: vanseodesign.com
Example of Font Scaling
Source: kyleschaeffer.com
BOK Tower, Tulsa – 50% scale World Trade Center
A little known fact is that the largest tower in Tulsa was designed by Minoru Yamasaki, the Twin Towers’ architect. It was designed at almost exactly half the scale during the oil boom of the 1970s. Tulsa has lots of land. Going up was not necessary. This was a status symbol ordered by William’s corporation CEO John Williams. Unfortunately, it never garnered the same national attention that made the twin towers so iconic. Some argue that is due to the fact it lacks the twin and the size.[4]
[1] Hardman, Daniel. “The Scaling Fallacy.” Codecraft. N. p., 2012. Web. 14 Oct. 2017.
[2] Jones, Brandon. “The Scaling Fallacy And Web Design.” Web Design Envato Tuts+. N. p., 2011. Web. 15 Oct. 2017.
[3] “The Believer – The Lost Twin: The Lone, Shrunken World Trade Center Tower In Oklahoma.” The Believer. N. p., 2008. Web. 15 Oct. 2017.
[4] “1/4 World Trade Center: Tulsa’S Half-Sized, Untwinned Tower.” WebUrbanist. N. p., 2016. Web. 16 Oct. 2017.