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Technical terminology is a necessary part of any industry. As a topic’s specificity increases, so do the need to quickly and accurately convey information without room for ambiguity. Conversations lacking in this specificity can result in misinterpretations during design and manufacturing, sometimes severe enough to warrant rework or scrapping.

Making a sandwich is a simple enough construction — assemble your bread, meats, cheeses, vegetables, and condiments in such a way that has both structural integrity and flavor. What varies in designing this famously simple meal is not only what you put in, but where, and how much. It’s a common misconception that different areas of the tongue correspond to different flavor sensations.

Packing a cooler is a time-honored tradition for beach trips, camping, and cookouts. I remember the first time I was on cooler duty. Typical of my thought process, I put a bed of ice in the cooler and placed all perishables on top. As you might have guessed, my family was not impressed with my record-breaking cooler pack.

“Measure twice, cut once” is the guiding mantra to prevent irreversible mistakes during any manufacturing process. However, no matter how many eyes check a document or process, some defect or error eventually sneaks through. Luckily, not all errors are equally disruptive, and focused efforts on the primary modes of failure or performance issues can prevent complete malfunction. Establishing and communicating clear design intent also helps prevent ambiguity from sneaking into production, reducing the possibility of issues arising.

Before starting any project, it’s necessary to determine which materials will compose the final product. Whether cooking, painting, or building electronics, it’s crucial to pick suitable materials that express th necessary characteristics of the finished piece.

One of the best lessons I’ve learned in my career in PCB design is realizing when I’ve gone too far. It’s easy to miss the forest for the trees when you’re in the weeds of placement, layout, routing, and other core tasks, but sometimes it’s necessary to take a moment to reflect on your work. Sometimes I’ll find I’ve overlooked some crucial element in the design documents or strayed from the engineer’s intent. In this case, saving the work I think is worthwhile, and undoing the rest with a backup file can seem like an easy fix.