shuffle

Getting Started.md

Getting Started

What is Shuffle?

Shuffle is a hardware program where you design a PCB kit, polish it to a standard where a complete stranger can build it, and submit it. Once approved, you'll receive a random kit that another participant designed, along with a hotplate and supplies to assemble it.

The catch? You don't know what you're getting until it shows up at your door.

That's it. Let's get you started.

Requirements

Before you start designing, here are the hard constraints your project needs to stay within:

  • PCB must be under 100x100mm
  • Parts list (BOM) must be under $10
  • Project must be open source on GitHub
  • Must include a live KiCanvas link so anyone can inspect your board
  • You must track time spent building the project by either using lapse or creating a journal.md

What counts as done?

A finished Shuffle project isn't just a working PCB. It's a working PCB that someone else can actually build without you holding their hand.

That means clean files, a proper README, a complete bill of materials, and an assembly guide that makes sense to a stranger. This is the part most hardware projects skip, and it's the whole point of Shuffle.

Don't worry too much about this yet. The Polishing Your Project guide covers all of it in detail. Just keep it in mind as you design so you're not painting yourself into a corner later.

What do I need?

Just two things:

  • KiCad — the tool you'll use to design your schematic and PCB layout. Download it at kicad.org/download
  • GitHub — where your project will live. If you don't have an account, make one at github.com

Both are free.

How the program works

Here's the full picture so you know what you're signing up for:

  1. You design a PCB kit and document it properly
  2. You submit it for review
  3. We check that it's shippable — clean files, clear guide, someone else could actually build it
  4. Once approved, you wait
  5. When the event wraps up, we ship you a random kit another participant designed, along with a hotplate and supplies to assemble it

Simple as that.

Where to go next

Never designed a PCB before? Start with the tutorials. They'll take you from zero to a finished board.

Already know your way around KiCad? Skip straight to Polishing Your Project.

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