Living in an electronically-driven world means we get to see work that we’re previously unaware of. For entrepreneurs, you may not be aware of it, but circuit designers exist and you may actually be in need of one. Cameras, laptops, alarm clocks, and even dishwashers have circuit boards that are designed by, you guessed it right, circuit designers.
What Circuit Designers Do
Electronic devices such as the ones mentioned above have circuit boards. Circuit designing is the process of designing the layouts of the writing in schematics for the printing circuit boards. It is finding solutions using diodes, resistors, capacitors, transistors, and many others.
The main responsibility of a circuit designer is to design electronic circuits that are the lifeblood and foundation of all electrical systems. They will also be responsible for designing a myriad of circuits and boards as well as signal processing filters.
As you can see, the definition alone of circuit design can intimidate anyone who’s not into electronics. This may also be the reason why many business owners are unaware of the need for a circuit designer. As with everything else, doing it yourself may be the quickest and cheapest route, but it isn’t the correct one.
If the product you sell is one that has a circuit system, you need to think about designing properly. This is where circuit designers come in. You can learn this specialization through video tutorials or DIY. It requires someone who has experience and expertise to ensure that everything works correctly and prevent complications.
List of Duties and Responsibilities
The job of a circuit designer consists of a variety of challenging duties and responsibilities. While their main duty is to develop electronic circuitry used in many everyday appliances, they are responsible for more. These are a few of them:
- Designing the latest advancements in circuit technology
- Developing equipment for circuitry
- Troubleshooting after installations
- Perform laboratory testings
- Designing amplifiers and multi-chip modules (MCM)
- Creation of signal processing filters
- Simulation of circuits using software
- Directs layout technicians in circuit implementation
Circuit designers are responsible for the whole design process of a circuit board, from the beginning up to the finished product. They are given the specifications about a project and are expected to use these as guidelines for the circuit and circuit boards of the product.
At times, circuit designers will be given concept designs and ideas that they will turn into functioning circuits and boards. They are expected to design signal processing filters that gather information from voltages and electrical currents.
Circuit designers must ensure that the circuit system of a product or project has the necessary parts to make it work as it’s supposed to. They also have to find a way to reduce the number of parts needed and make the system as uncomplicated as possible, thereby lessening the costs.
Why You Should Hire One
Managing a business means having a plethora of things to focus on. There’s product development, marketing and advertising, and many other essential tasks. To make business management easier, it’s only natural to hire professionals instead of doing certain tasks yourself.
Cost-Effective
If you have a background or basic knowledge of circuit design, it’s still highly recommended that you turn this job over to someone with the expertise. Cutting corners in this regard may prove to be the more disastrous and less cost-effective option. If you are selling products that have a circuit system, it’s only sensible to ensure that its design is done right.
Better Than DIY
No amount of DIYing will bring the same results as when you hire a professional circuit designer. Components such as diodes, wiring, capacitors, transistors, and resistors can be intricate and complicated. It would be an unnecessary cost to you if these items and the processes involved in designing them are not done the right way.
Reduces Complications Later On
Hiring a professional circuit designer can get you an efficient circuit system that functions as you intended them to. A pro can design a more effective circuit system that can lessen the costs. They also have the capabilities of creating circuit designs that are easier to troubleshoot if and when something goes wrong later on.
Safer Circuit System
Putting a circuit system onto a new product is crucial as its safety should be ensured. When you hire a circuit designer, you can be assured of the safety of all your circuit systems. Making sure that your products pass inspections is a must, but it is also mandatory that consumer safety will be guaranteed.
Saves You Time
When you hire a professional circuit designer to work with you, you’re not only saving money, but you’re saving precious time as well. As the pros can do it better, they will also be able to do your circuit designs faster, thus saving you time. You’ll get your designs right the first time so there will no longer be the need for revisions or recalls.
Where to Find Circuit Designers to Hire
Now that you’ve learned the importance of having a circuit designer on your team, it’s time to find the one for you. You can find circuit designers all over the internet, from online job marketplaces to social media platforms. Upwork, Guru, and freelancer.com are some great examples of where to find circuit designers.
You can check out this article with its list of the top places to start your search.
What to Look For in a Circuit Designer
Finding the right candidate for your company’s circuit designer position is like searching for a needle in a haystack. Not many people are even aware that such a job exists. One major reason for this is that to become a circuit designer requires years of education, training, and experience.
Online marketplaces aren’t all that they’re hyped up to be. They aren’t free from scammers so expect to get applications that may not be as true as they’d like you to believe. To help you find the right one, here are some characteristics you must look for when hiring a circuit designer:
Experience
Real work experience trumps college design awards, hands down. Remember, this job requires precision and attention to detail, you don’t want to leave something this crucial to a newbie. Learning the ropes to real-life circuit designing takes months, probably years. This means that the only way to get a prototype that truly works is to hire someone with the experience.
However, it’s not all bad for those fresh out of circuit design college. These greenhorns have the freshest of ideas that the seasoned ones may have lost for becoming jaded. If you have the time and less of the budget, hiring beginners in the industry isn’t bad at all. But make sure that you vet them before hiring them to become part of your team.
Knowledge in the Design Process
A circuit designer may have worked for years designing schematics and layout. But if that’s the only thing they’ve worked on, they may not have a thorough understanding of the entire circuit design process. A decent candidate is one who knows the whole process from start to finish and has the chops to back them up.
Specialization
Circuit designers have specializations and specific design scopes. Make sure to speak to candidates about your company’s needs and see if these match with theirs’.
Software Proficiency
To save time and money, your ideal circuit designer should be proficient in industry-standard software. There isn’t time to have them learn a software and start being productive.
Final Thoughts
Managing a business means constantly thinking of ways to improve your products or services. It also calls for speeding up production and reducing your costs. For this, it’s inevitable for your company to outsource work that only the professionals can do better. This is what circuit designers are ready to do.
This is the same with getting graphic designs for your brand. It’s a business essential that many entrepreneurs cut corners with. Not only will this result in mediocre work, but it would also never propel you to a business that gets the attention of the right people.
For all your graphic design needs, Penji can help you. Sign up today to get our designers working.
