Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1062752
20 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I DECEMBER 2018 IPC functions for a discount or ask questions of industry experts on the DC forums. More recently, the benefits include classes brought to the local area by the chapter, meeting dis- cussions on timely topics with others sharing experiences, and making friendships that carry over into other parts of our daily lives. Shaughnessy: You're on the executive board for the Designers Council. What exactly does the board do? Webb: The executive board as a group is the advocate for the DC to IPC in general. We encourage chapter organization and participa- tion, brainstorm ways to encourage new design- ers to get into the industry, give our thoughts to IPC about issues important to designers, dis- cuss ways to enrich CID and CID+ courses, and most recently, we will be reporting through the industry's design magazines what other chap- ters are doing and what classes are available so that all might use those same ideas. Shaughnessy: If you could change anything about the Designers Council, what would you change? Or what needs to change, or be done differently, in your opinion? Webb: There are so many issues related to new products that are the direct responsibil- ity of the PCB designers. They make decisions that determine if the boards will work electri- cally, how easily their information is conveyed to and understood by the fabricator, whether the board can be manufactured with high yield at a reasonable cost, and if it can be checked, tested, and used in the field with high reliabil- ity. I believe it gives people a sense of pride to make the complex decisions that guide them to create a new prod- uct that meets those goals. To that end, I would like to see a true dedica- tion on the part of the organizations out there to understand and meet the needs of designers because it ends up affecting everyone down the line. Shaughnessy: What's next for the Designers Council in the next 5–10 years? Webb: What's next will mostly depend on who the designer of the future is. Many are say- ing that engineers will be designing their own boards, and that may be true. But since engi- neers won't be designing on a regular basis, I believe there will still need to be dedicated designers too. Since many of the longtime mentors in the field will be retiring in the next 5–10 years, there has to be a way to reach all of those engineers and designers with the newest technologies and methodologies. Conferences, users groups and groups like the Designers Council can do that with dedication and lead- ership provided by the organizations they rep- resent. Shaughnessy: Thanks for your time, Susy. I'll see you on the road again. Webb: Thank you, Andy. Always a pleasure. DESIGN007 What's next will mostly depend on who the designer of the future is.