A client in Tampa told me my detail callouts were too cluttered

I was working on a set of shop drawings for a custom metal stair last month, and the client sent back a markup with one note that stuck with me. He wrote, 'I can't find the weld symbol in this sea of lines.' He was right. I had crammed every dimension, note, and section marker onto the main view, thinking it showed thoroughness. I used to think more detail was always better, but it just made the sheet confusing. Now, I make a separate detail sheet for any complex connection or assembly. I pull those callouts off the main plan and give them their own clean space with a clear title block. It adds maybe one more sheet to the set, but the reviews come back way faster. Has anyone else found a better way to clean up a busy drawing?

3 comments

3 Comments

sarah8182mo ago

That weld symbol note is brutal.

wendyprice2mo ago

Ugh, makes me glad I'm not in fab anymore.

adamp312mo ago

Yeah, saw a post from @sarah818 about that. Some drawings are just asking for trouble.