Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1408619
24 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I SEPTEMBER 2021 During the struggle with COVID, the situa- tion was driven by the fear of not knowing how long things would be affected, how bad things would get, or even what the new normal would look like aer it was over. As a result, we re-invented the way that we worked. Kitchen tables became our offices. Our entire industry had to re-invent the way we did things. It's during the difficult times that the most valuable lessons are learned. Now that things are beginning to open up and move forward, we see what can only be described as a Brave New World unfolding. We don't know what the new normal will ultimately be, post- COVID, but welcome to it. One of those hard lessons was about the value of the team and collaboration. I have repeat- edly heard how many of us have a newfound respect and appreciation for the teams we work with inside our companies. Out of neces- sity, we had to find new ways to collaborate. "No Man is an Island," a poem by John Donne, could not be truer today. is prin- ciple is especially true when it comes to the PCB design process. Since no single person is involved in PCB design, I would contend that to succeed, PCB design must be a team sport. I can hear a few designers saying, "My team is me, myself, and I." I fully understand your situation. For you, it's not an individual doing specific tasks but rather a single person doing all the different roles to finish the PCB design. Sometimes you put on the component librar- ian hat, other times the electronics engineer hat, and other times you may be the purchaser or the project manager. Although it is just you PCB Design— It's a Team Sport Elementary, Mr. Watson Feature Column by John Watson, ALTIUM