Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1153097
100 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2019 Pierobon: Yes, it is free. I encourage your read- ers to sign up at designingflexiblecircuits.com. Hundreds of people from all over the world have taken the class. The course is written in an easy-to-understand language, explain- ing technical concepts, and each chapter ends with interactive review questions. I have been told that people like the course very much be- cause each page offers a bite-size piece of in- formation, which makes it easy to digest and comprehend. The seven chapters are: 1. Flexible Circuits 2. Design Options 3. Flexible Circuit Materials 4. Flexible Circuit Requirements 5. Design Guidelines for Flexible Circuits 6. Light Emitting Diodes in Flexible Circuits 7. Flexible Heaters There is an extensive glossary because there are a lot of technical terms in the course. The entire course can be completed in one day, but you can start and stop at any point. Your email address is only used to remember your place in the course. I have added plenty of hyperlinks in the course to make it easy to navigate and to jump around the material as needed. Shaughnessy: Do you ever teach flex design classes in person? Pierobon: No, but no one has ever asked. Shaughnessy: What advice would you give someone just starting out designing flex? Are there any other educational resources, books, or webinars that cover flex design? Pierobon: Take my course. After all, it is free. Also, All Flex has many resources on its web- site. As for other educational sources, there is plenty of material on flexible circuit design on- line. Shaughnessy: What do you see as the pros and cons of online courses? Do you see them as complementing in-person classes or eventually replacing them? Pierobon: If you are a night owl, online cours- es are for you. You can take online courses at any time and go at your own pace. If you have the discipline and the self-motivation, online courses are for you. Online courses are for those whose financial budget is extremely con- strained. I prefer to teach classes in person for various reasons. One, I can read the body language of the students and can quickly tell when they are distracted or feel lost. The classes I teach have interactive exercises, and if a student gets stuck, I am there to resolve the issue. Stu- dents pay more attention, learn more, and do not have distractions that may plague online courses. But I do not foresee online courses re- placing in-person classes. Shaughnessy: I also noticed that you teach a whole range of other high-tech subjects, such as MySQL, Red Hat Linux, thermal sensors, and dozens of other topics. How did you end up teaching such a wide range of topics? John Michael lives on the beach in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.