From a First-Time PCB Designer to Hosting a Workshop
May 2026 Update: I so enjoyed the process of learning PCB design, that I decided to share the love with my SyBBURE Research and Design Fellowship cohort. In April, I hosted a wearable electronics workshop where I taught introductory breadboarding, soldering, protoboarding, and Intro to PCB Design software. Attendees from all backgrounds, but primarily non-engineering, enjoy learning about begineer circuits and took home wearable, battery-powered projects!
January 2026: It was on my 2025 bucket list to learn how to design a PCB. I followed through on that goal while sick and bored out of my mind on Christmas Eve. Gone are the days of prototyping on a breadboard or perf board and hoping the wires won’t yank out or get out of place. A PCB allows me to take my prototyping designs to the next level: making them permanent, scalable, and professional. I’ve designed a simple LED circuit into the board and optimized for minimal weight so that they can even be worn as earrings! I hope this will be foundation for more complex designs in the future, as I continue to advance in my mechatronics know-how.
Download the production files here to order this board yourself! Access the .zip file here.
Additional parts needed: 5 mm LED, resistor (approx 20 - 400 Ω), CR2032 coin cell batteries, momentary button
This earring PCB design combines function (LED circuit!) and style (the ever-beautiful ginkgo leaf).
