I will offer my opinion on layout design.

First thing, is buy yourself a copy of

TRACK PLANNING FOR REALISTIC OPERATION by

Armstrong, John

published by Kalmbach Publishing.
Read the book and then read it again.

Make a list of what you really want from your model railroading.
Are you a “runner”? Just like to switch around cars?

John calls this his “givens and druthers”. It does work.

Decide on your minimum radius to run what equipment you plan to operate.

Make sure you have provisions to access everything.

if this is your first layout, keep it simple with provisions to add to it as your skills and abilities improve.

Consider a different design than just a rectangular table. Around the walls?

It is easy to get overwhelmed and then lose interest. Design a plan that works for you. Build some structures for variety to building the layout. Accumulate scenery stuff and detail parts.

I cannot stress enough the importance of what you like the best and then focus on that with your layout design.

Donald