Grid sys tems have been used in print design, archi tec ture and inte rior design for gener a tions. Now, on the web, the same rules of grid sys tem com po si tion and usage no longer apply. Content is viewed in many ways; from RSS feeds to email. Content is viewed on many devices; from mobile phones to lap tops. Users can manip u late the browser, they can remove con tent, resize the can vas, resize the type faces. A designer is no longer in con trol of this pre sen ta tion. So where do grid sys tems fit in to all that?
http://www.webdirections.org/resources/mark-boulton-designing-grid-systems/