Proportion: The square

- 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.…