Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1327102
86 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I JANUARY 2021 Once you've signed up, you will receive a reply from IPC within two business days that includes instructions on how to join Discord. By migrating to Discord, we have also for- mally eliminated the Chapter model, and coalesced all the previous affiliation types into one, unified affiliate. Discord is a server-based utility, and in general, "server" and "group" can be considered synonymous for the remain- der of this column. As an affiliate, you can belong to as many servers as you would like, and you can request to create a server for your local design community, special interest group, project, or any other activity. Upon signing up, you can choose which server you would like to belong to as an active affiliate, with the ability to use the chat and video features at will, as well as upload and download files. You will also be automati- cally enrolled in the global community as an affiliate with full permissions. (Currently, the global server will operate in English; however, Discord does offer built-in translation for its UI, and most browsers support translation of text within the Discord chat itself.) One exciting aspect of the new Discord-based model is that any affiliate can join any other region's server at will, allowing them to access materials and conversations therein (albeit in that server's language). We are experimenting with enabling observer permissions for all affil- iates in all servers, so that you can keep tabs on what activities are occurring around the world. As of now, there are a few designers who have acted as pilots for the various IPC Design iterations, and I extend my thanks to those few. At this point, we are opening the flood- gates for the new future of IPC Design, and I welcome all to come and give it a try. The benefits of joining IPC Design are sim- ple: By accessing a network of global design engineers (for free), you unlock hundreds of years' worth of design engineering experience with whom to ask questions, disposition new ideas, forge new business relationships, and unlock new perspectives. By integrating IPC Design with the IPC Education Foundation, we will also be enabling established engineers to seek out new talent in the industry for mentor- ship, internship, or employment. There are also no obligations, yearly meet- ing quota or dues to be paid, and there is no implicit promise of resource or time expendi- ture on your end. IPC is dedicated to helping the industry build electronics better, and industry members asso- ciated with IPC Design have already been asked by IPC to provide input on new educational courses, participate in brainstorming sessions for upcoming design competitions (yes, this idea is not dead—there will be a board design competition in 2021), and provide feedback on which IPC standards should be translated into new languages. So, while you have no obliga- tions, we hope to leverage your experience in design beyond what is available in standards development meetings alone. I urge you to stop by and take a look. As the program grows, there will be even more members available with whom you can create a community. The new IPC Design is sleeker, more lightweight, and more accessible than ever—just another way that IPC strives to help you make your life easier and your designs better. DESIGN007 Resources 1. Find the affiliation form at ipc.org/affiliate-ipc-design. Patrick Crawford is the manager of design programs and related indus- try programs at IPC. To read past columns or contact him, click here or email PatrickCrawford@ipc.org. Once you've signed up, you will receive a reply from IPC within two business days that includes instructions on how to join Discord.