Sketching Your Idea

Eagle isn't forgiving if you change your mind half way through a design. Before diving in, grab a pencil and sketch out some physical layouts.

There are conventions for drawing circuits and schematic diagrams, but you can ignore them for now. The first step is to get a feel for your idea.

Dimensions & Layout

If you have specific dimensions that you're working to then start with the outline. If you're planning a Raspberry Pi HAT, for example, you can just draw around an existing one to see how much room you'll have.

At this point you should be thinking about where you want the parts that define your project. Where will you place lights, buttons, headers, ports and more. You'll soon see if your design is workable.

Use components you've seen on other boards for reference, and don't worry too much about the specifics yet.