- The square is a remarkably simple
and easy to use proportion.
Any designer who has worked with
a series of squares to build a layout
will praise the flexibility of this simple shape.
The Japanese applied the square on much
of their traditional architecture and design.
A tatami mat is typically three by six feet, or two squares.
This series of squares divided the floor
of a Japanese house into many interesting patterns.
We use the square as a proportional unit
more than any other shape.
A game of chess,
ceramic tile, a photograph, even the pixel on a screen.
In layout design, the square divides the space
into a series of units.
Each unit can be filled with content such as text or images.
The result is an ordered layout
that is easy to understand.
The square has unique advantages
as a proportional base.
First, a series of identical squares
can organize highly disparate images or shapes.
It can also provide a simple map
for the real estate of a page.
Images are placed in the lower squares,
text in the second, and headlines on the top.
This works in print and on a screen.
A square-based layout in web design
takes advantage of the inherent
building block, the square pixel.
In some ways, it's like putting
a square peg into the square hole,
rather than trying to force the circle in there.
A square proportion can be used
to determine the form of a publication
or to create a structure inside.
The squares can be used individually or together.
This approach ensures that the large image
will relate to the small one and the text.
The danger of using a square proportion too excessively
or without variation is creating wallpaper,
or a visual look and feel that is background noise.
Like the Golden Rectangle, use the square,
but make sure the content is varied and compelling.
And feel free to change it up,
it's your design.