Contrasting colors
Interpreting the engineering aesthetic
A common assumption is that engineers are only concerned with measurements and calculations. The expressionless or stoic aesthetic of engineering design is no accident and plays an important role in our world today.
Legibility
Construction documents are legal documents. Ensuring every number is correct and pointing to the right detail is meant to protect the client and consultant from unneeded change order costs. Hence, the quality of a drawing is dependent on its clarity to the contractor.
Efficiency
Closely tied to legibility, the engineer will detail his drawings to reduce repetition and clutter when necessary. For example, .typ details which means typical are meant for the reader to apply the callout other places in the document.
Coordinate System
Critical to engineering design, is ensuring the drawings are aligned with the sites geolocation. While still equally important for contractors, having the site boundaries on the correct coordinates allows engineers to more easily collaborate and update drawings through the system.