Squares are definitely dominant in this photo. There is no doubt about meeting the challenge at all.
For some reason, the exposure on this shot is a litle flat. The colors are not popping out, and there are some nice colors here to work with. I think maybe the combination of lighting you described in your description is playing a role in that as well. Even though you fired your flash, the lighting is quite even. I don't see any resulting harsh shadows that I would normally expect from a closeup flash shot. Maybe you have an external flash that you bounced or something?
Compositionally, the image is a bit 'busy' for me. There is no good resting point for my eyes in this image. As I look at the image, my eyes keep wandering around and they don't really come to rest at any given point. There is a lot here to absorb and no real single focal point for the viewer...
Keep up the good work :) The 717 is a great cam and I'm sure it won't let you down!
I don't know what the "four", "four" means on the left, but the rest of the picture is awesome! I love all the squares everywhere! Nice. One thing, I'd prefer to see this a little lighter (more exposure) which would given more impact to it. 8.