Autodesk 15606-011408-9330 User Guide - Page 121

Another way you might set up a design spreadsheet is to break the Display Range column into several discrete ranges; you can then block out the display ranges in which layers are on. Also, you might want to place layers in the spreadsheet according to their data type, which often corresponds to the display ranges. For example, point layers would be in rows near the top of the spreadsheet, polyline layers below point layers, polygon layers below polyline layers, and so on. General Guidelines Following is a list of guidelines you should consider when designing your map:
Use elements of nearly equal size with no features dominating the map. Text size should be neither too small to read nor so large that the text dominates or obscures features in the map.
Use different symbols to represent different features. For example, you can use symbols to represent landmarks, such as hospitals, churches, and cemeteries. Draw symbols at an appropriate scale so they are legible and do not obscure other data.
Use line type and colors to represent different features. Representing roads as double lines can be helpful for small areas, such as subdivisions, or for maps in which right-of-way information is important.
Do not use an excessive number of colors. Otherwise, the map becomes too bright, and the colors dominate. Try to limit the map to four colors.
If you are not using themes, use one color per layer. For example, if you have an SDF that contains roads and highways, and you want to draw them in different colors, it's usually best to create a separate roads layer and highway layer and apply one color to each. The other option is to create one layer and create theme categories for roads and highways on that layer, applying the colors you want to the theme categories. However, this approach can decrease performance.
Make layers selectable only if necessary. Always ask yourself whether the data on this layer is there to help orient the user on the map or contains features the user needs for retrieving information. If it's there for orientation, such as lakes and parks in a parcel map, make the layer unselectable.
Do not try to present too much data on the map at once. Maps are more effective when they show topics clearly. Always set up the map so that only the most necessary layers are turned on when the user first accesses the map; this also speeds up the initial loading of the map. The user can then turn on additional layers to get more information as needed. Designing the Map | 121