I’ve been designing a set of custom component footprints, because my KiCad workflow got screwed up for multiple years when I upgraded from version 6 to 7. There are fixes for that, but I wanted to get set up with a single library that I can import all at once.

Also, I’ve always enjoyed putting cute little touches on my custom components – e.g., an ATtiny85 footprint with “i’m tiny!” on it:

Render of a board with “#Avnet100Years” in BIG lettering, and “i’m tiny” in tiny lettering on the 8-pin DIP socket. (Please do not mention the lack of routing to the battery’s ground contact… I definitely did that on purpose, yep.)

This time around, I’m moving toward a full set that’s coherent, but stylized, and which I can update with more components as time goes by.

Right now, they’re just footprints, but later on, I’ll probably add a library of schematic symbols so I can double-check my circuits at every step of the process.

Style sets

Of course, I can also make themed versions for different uses! Here’s a Halloween-style set I was noodling on: https://chaos.social/@alexglow/115411063890787230

"Halloween components for KiCad [set 1, WIP]": a kittycat (CR1225 battery holder), moon (6mm button), double-pupiled eye (1x2 header), flame demon (through-hole LED), dagger (SMD LED), set of fangs (SMD resistor), bone (through-hole resistor), and skeletal hand (switch with stabilizing legs).