Why Rectangles Dominate

A grid of rectangles organizes space efficiently, which is why cities, farms, and warehouses use rectangular layouts. The same logic scales down to pixels on a screen and cells in a spreadsheet: lay rectangles edge to edge and every unit lines up, with nothing left over. Once you have a right angle and a straight edge, you can repeat the shape forever — and that repeatability is what built the modern grid.

Screens use specific aspect ratios — the ratio of width to height. Old TVs were 4:3. Modern screens are 16:9. Cinema uses 21:9. The aspect ratio determines how content fills the screen and how much peripheral vision it engages.