The Blueprint-Reading-Challenged

'Reading blueprints' is not an innate talent.

---

Maybe you have noticed that 'reading blueprints' is not an innate talent. Clearly it is a learned skill. While floor plans and elevations seem realistic to designers, the uninitiated struggle to decipher the symbols we take for granted. 

At the start of my career in the 70s, I chauvinistically assumed that women would struggle with reading blueprints. What I learned is that gender has absolutely nothing to do with it. In fact my experience over the years would cause me to say that women are generally better than men at reading blueprints!

How can that be? Traditionally, architects have been men. True, but culture is the reason for that. I had an almost even split of men and women architects in my firm. Men and women have the same capabilities.

My theory, based on observation and no science whatsoever, is that the person attempting to read blueprints needs to have a reasonably developed right brain. Anyone who is extremely logical, rational, numbers-oriented will struggle.

The poster child for the blueprint-reading-challenged is the high-ranking accounting type. 'High-ranking' because his/her left-brainedness is how he/she has prospered and risen in the ranks. Conversely, all the Human Resources professionals that I have met (all women BTW) understand floor plans instantly and several have 'helped me out’ by doing layouts of what they want. 

Take Away: Use 3D whenever feasible to avoid confusing your clients because you will be surprised by who gets it and who doesn't.