We put a lot of effort into our past layouts, and I’ve found that those trying to write a WordPress Theme or website layout from scratch has a terrible time dealing with column layouts. Mezzoblue’s article on Columns and Grids examines the standard layouts in a fascinating way, based upon a grid.
They explain that while it is natural to design the layout based upon a grid, just like with old paper style layouts, web page designers have to think horizontally, vertically, and in layers. They look at different grid and column layouts and discuss the pros and cons of each.
Incidentally, if you’re ever wondering why fixed layouts are so popular amongst designers, this has a lot to do with it — it’s awfully difficult to build any coherent form of grid when you lose control of proportions in both dimensions at once.
Fixed, non-elastic layouts are much easier to work with, but they also are extremely limiting and confining for the designer as well as the user. This article features well thought out graphics to demonstrate the different layout choices a web designer has, with good tips and advice. Worth serious attention.