A client in Phoenix told me my detail callouts were 'too clean'

I was showing him a set of foundation plans last fall, and he pointed at a section and said, 'Your lines are perfect, but where's the grime?' He meant I'd drawn the rebar and blockwork like a textbook, not like something a crew would actually build from. How do you balance showing ideal design versus the messy reality of a jobsite?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_simon23d ago

Ha, that's a great point from your client. It's the classic fight between the perfect drawing and the guy who has to read it in the mud. I always try to add a few "builder's notes" right on the sheet, little details that show I know how things actually go together. Maybe sketch in a typical splice or call out a common field fix. It tells them you've been in the trenches too, even if your lines are clean.

laura_schmidt8222d ago

Isn't this just like cooking shows versus real dinner? The TV recipe looks perfect, but at home you know you'll have to swap an ingredient and your pan's kinda sticky.

parkerbrown22d ago

Exactly, those little notes are what turn a drawing from a fantasy into a real set of instructions. It's all about showing you get the messy reality.