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12 The PCB Design Magazine • December 2015 Shaughnessy: What are your membership stats: industry segments, job descriptions, regions of the world, total membership, etc.? Mulvihill: The IPC Designers Council is an inter- national society for all individuals with interest in design. Participants are drawn from all over the world, from every market segment. They hold a variety of job titles; those with "design" or "designer" in them are the majority. Shaughnessy: do you host any events? Mulvihill: Absolutely. a. IPC presents the Design Forum every year, within the premier industry event IPC APEX EXPO. This activity features technical presenta- tions from industry thought leaders, in a full- day conference format that allows for both edu- cation and networking. The Design Forum 2016 runs on Monday, March 14, 7:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. in Las Vegas, at the Convention Center with IPC APEX EXPO. b. Half-day and full-day technical courses with an emphasis on design are also on the Pro- fessional Development slate at IPC APEX EXPO. Courses of particular interest to designers run on March 13–14, Sunday and Monday after- noon. More information about Professional De- velopment courses and the Design Forum can be found at www.ipcapexexpo.org. c. Designer Certification sessions consist of two days of instruction, plus one day of review with an exam. These sessions are delivered by IPC-licensed training centers, in classrooms all over the world. Successful completion of the courses results in the award of highly respect- ed professional designations: CID (Certified Interconnect Designer) and CID+ (advanced level). Shaughnessy: What are the top 2-3 benefits you bring your membership? Mulvihill: First would be our design commu- nity connections, such as the electronic bulle- tin board. Designers interested in subscribing should visit our site. We also provide IPC e-mail broadcasts. And the Designers Council chap- ter meetings allow members to connect with other designers and learn new processes and techniques though periodic "Lunch 'n' Learn" events. Second would be the discounts DC members can apply to designated IPC industry standards, events, and programs with a focus on design. Shaughnessy: how much does dc membership cost? Mulvihill: There are no fees associated with par- ticipation in the IPC Designers Council. Shaughnessy: tell us about the cid and cid+ cer- tifications. i understand the curriculum has been "updated," if that's the right word. Mulvihill: That is the right word! Course content for both the CID module and the CID+ module have been updated, to help meet design chal- lenges of today's environment. The 2016 edi- tions of CID and CID+ modules are available. •New content has been added to the course textbook (the Study Guide), slides used for classroom presentation, and the exam. For example: the latest lead-free and other environmental regulatory issues associated with materials. •Information has been re-organized, for improved flow. •Exam format has been aligned with today's best practices in testing. Shaughnessy: is there still a plan to add hdi cid certification? IPC DESIGNERS CoUNCIL: SERVING PCB DESIGNERS FoR ALMoST 25 YEARS feature interview