A Maker Space Redesigned Their Entire Electronics Curriculum

#Teaching PCB Design to Beginners

TechForge Maker Space in Austin runs electronics workshops for hobbyists and students. For years, their curriculum stopped at breadboards. Participants built projects that worked in the lab but fell apart when they took them home. Going to PCB design felt out of reach — KiCad and Altium have steep learning curves.

#The Pivot

In 2025, they decided to add a "From Breadboard to PCB" track. They evaluated tools and chose Schematik for its web-based workflow (no installs on shared lab machines) and guided schematic capture. Students could design a simple board in one 3-hour session.

The first cohort designed LED blinkers and basic sensor boards. Schematik's component library and real-time DRC caught common mistakes — wrong resistor values, reversed polarity — before export. Students sent their designs to a low-cost fab and received boards two weeks later. The "I made this" moment was powerful.

#Outcomes

TechForge now runs monthly PCB design workshops. Enrollment is up 40%. Alumni have gone on to design IoT projects and even small product runs. "Schematik bridged the gap between 'I can solder' and 'I can design a board,'" their curriculum lead said. "Our members are building more ambitious projects than ever."