A New Format for Everything: Why Our World is Changing

The European Central Bank has introduced new designs for euro banknotes that feature vertical layouts, marking a shift in how financial instruments are presented. Four out of ten newly proposed designs follow this trend, with logos and account numbers oriented vertically rather than horizontally. This change could affect everyday users, as individuals who still carry traditional wallets might find themselves struggling to retrieve notes properly, now displayed horizontally instead of upright. The transformation reflects a broader cultural shift toward vertical formats, driven largely by the dominance of smartphones and their influence on visual design. This transition began years ago, starting with the decline of credit cards and moving into the realm of digital transactions. Now, even physical currency is adapting to the norms established by mobile devices. The concept of “vertical storytelling” has taken hold in marketing and media, with major platforms such as Netflix and Disney producing content optimized for vertical screens. Public broadcasters have also embraced this format, creating “vertical dramas” tailored for smartphone viewing. As a result, the orientation of information has become increasingly aligned with the dimensions of handheld devices. While smartphones are often cited as the primary cause of this shift, they are more accurately described as a symptom of deeper societal changes. The human form itself seems to reflect this vertical orientation. Standing upright, reaching upward, and striving for progress, all these actions echo the metaphorical pursuit of height, speed, and distance. Philosophers such as Peter Sloterdijk argue that this verticality represents a fundamental tension within human existence, a desire to transcend one’s current state through continuous effort. He points to Rainer Maria Rilke’s final lines in his sonnet Archaïscher Torso Apollos, which urge personal transformation: “Du musst dein Leben ändern.” Yet, Sloterdijk also acknowledges that humans are not obligated to change, suggesting that the drive for verticality is both voluntary and optional. Throughout history, geometric shapes have played a central role in shaping human understanding of the world. Ancient philosophers like the Pythagoreans revered triangles, while medieval religious thought placed great significance on circles. In modern times, artists such as Kazimir Malevich elevated squares to symbolic status, and Wassily Kandinsky associated basic forms with specific colors. Today, the rise of the “orthogonal”, the strict right angle, suggests a new era in which verticality becomes a dominant aesthetic and functional standard. Critics caution against overgeneralizing the impact of vertical formats, noting that they do not necessarily narrow perspectives. While the world framed within a rectangle can feel like a fragment, historical examples show that such framing can highlight essential qualities. For instance, portrait art has long used vertical rectangles to emphasize key features of its subjects, even as it captures only a portion of their presence. However, the challenge arises when individual fragments are mistaken for the whole, leading to a fragmented view of reality. The new euro banknote designs, which include the phrase “In Vielfalt geeint,” suggest a vision of unity through diversity. This motto implies that while each element may appear separately, together they form a cohesive whole. It hints at a future in which the many small slices of our experiences, each framed vertically, might eventually be understood as complementary rather than exclusive. Whether this vision will shape the future of communication, design, and perception remains to be seen, but the trend toward verticality shows no signs of slowing down.