The simple truth is, squares sit well with the human psyche. We have no issues digesting straight lines and right angles. They are exact, bold, and trustworthy. When you settle a debt, you’ve ‘squared it away.’ Nutritious meals are often called ‘square meals.’ The beautiful simplicity of grids and lattices surrounds us every day. The shingles on a roof, the windows of a skyscraper, the gaps between the sidewalk slabs, the spines of the books on your shelf, the chessboard on your (probably rectangular) coffee table.
Squares represent balance, order.
Perfect squares do not exist in nature. They are a human, mathematical construct that helps us design with functionality and strength. The result is a rectangular form that suggests stability, reminds us of bricks and tiles and construction. Yet the square goes on to transcend its simple shape, and recreates perfect proportions of nature with golden ratios, used over the last 4,000 years in human design and art. It’s mind blowing to think human share that same principle ratio with flowers, seashells, pineapples and honeycombs.
Humans have a deep need to understand and recreate the natural order.