50 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I MAY 2024
Communication is also critical for success,
and I examined the following as it relates to
successful PCB design:
• Communication is key
• Avoiding communication interference
• e collaborative PCB design process
• Tactics to avoid problems and increase
productivity
• e pros and cons of tribal knowledge
Another important skill for designers is to be
prepared for what you are getting into. Whether
it is learning how to use the tools or gathering
the necessary information before starting a
design, PCB layout can sink or swim depend-
ing on how well a designer is prepared for it.
Over the past 10 years, I've looked at some of
the tips and tricks that designers should have in
their tool belts, some recommended practices
when looking for work, and then not work-
ing past your break-
ing point while on the
job. Being prepared
also means surround-
ing yourself with
people who will help
support you and, as
we've seen over the past handful of years, how
to successfully work from home. It also means
being fully committed to what you want, pre-
paring for changes in the industry, looking into
what we need to know as designers, and learn-
ing advanced design strategies. Speaking of the
future, we also talked about what kinds of lay-
out technologies will attract the next genera-
tion of PCB designers, hiring designers, what
it takes to be a CAD instructor, and who will
take these roles going forward.
Lastly, we spent a lot of time exploring who
we are as PCB designers, and what makes us all
tick. What is it that compels us to spend long
hours into the evening ensuring a layout passes
design rule checks, or that the manufacturer
has everything they need to successfully build
the board? Here are some column topics that
talked about who we are and why I'm so proud
to be part of this industry:
• Being a role model as a designer
• Being willing to take a risk
• Successfully dealing with the inevitable
failures in life
• Don't yield to negative expectations
• Looking out for one another
• Stepping into the great unknown
• What you do as a designer really does
matter
• A job worth doing is worth doing well
• Success begins with confidence
• Stepping up to the plate
I mean it with all my heart when I say that writ-
ing Tim's Takeaways for designers and about the
PCB design industry has been an honor and a
privilege. I hope that this column has been help-
ful to all who have read it. But there is another
part that is near and dear to me, and that is the
stories that I have been able to tell.
The Stories
Like sitting around the campfire, I have
shared a lot of personal stories about my family,
interests, and even some stupid things that I've
done in the past through this column. Take,
for instance, my dog Henry. We lost him many
years ago, but for a long time, his antics helped
illustrate key points about the realm of PCB
layout and the role of designers. Henry was a
great example of how not to communicate and
the importance of stepping back and smelling
the roses every now and then. Henry was just
the tip of the iceberg as I related dozens and
dozens of stories to bring life to the topics at
hand. Here are some examples that you might
enjoy, starting with my family:
• My loving family threw me out of the
family room once because of baseball
• How our new furnace helped me under-
stand the importance of customer support
• How our visit to the Hanford nuclear
reactor le a glow on our faces
