It’s 2026, and the 2025 holiday décor was packed away a little early at the Spielman household this go ’round. It’s always bittersweet to disassemble the Christmas village I painstakingly build each year under our tree. Setting up the village is a tradition I look forward to, carefully placing each house, each storefront, each tree and each tiny figure with purpose.
Over time, the village has grown—this year a cold care clinic and an ice cream shop went up. Last year, we added a vinyl record store and the elementary school from “A Christmas Story.” Some pieces have been retired because they’ve broken beyond a super-glue fix, so every year the village looks just a little different. It’s a beautiful reminder that change is both natural and essential to growth.
Covering the field of machine design is a little like tending this Christmas village. Each story, innovation and challenge has been a new piece added to the landscape of my editorial journey. The community of thinkers, makers and visionaries I have had the privilege to cover has shaped my understanding and deepened my appreciation for this dynamic industry.
Thanks to our youngest son, this Christmas I added a clock tower to our cherished village—the perfect symbol of time’s steady march and the fresh opportunities it brings. One of the myriad topics covered in Machine Design is vision systems, so when our sister EB2B brand Vision Systems Design was looking for someone to take the helm for its retiring editor in chief, I threw my hat in the ring. It was fortuitous but fruitful, and a fresh opportunity at VSD begins for me today.
Though this is my last blog post for Machine Design, I am far from saying goodbye. Over the next few weeks, you will still see a few bylined articles from me in MD as I finish sharing the stories I’ve been working on. I will remain connected to this community, too, as I’ll still attend industry events, like A3’s business meeting later this month and the Automate trade show in Chicago this June 22-25. I also will be continuing Beyond the Spiel on Vision Systems Design, where I’ll be sharing new insights from an evolving vantage point. Maybe I’ll see you over there. My email will remain the same, and you can reach out to me anytime at [email protected].
I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a shout out to two people I’ve worked so closely with every day. To the phenomenal Rehana Begg, MD’s editor in chief, you’ve been an incredible inspiration, and I have learned so much from you. I can’t thank you enough. To Jeremy Cohen, MD’s incredible managing editor, your patience, skill and chill demeanor are so grounding, and you make me want to be the best writer possible. Thankfully, we’ll stay connected via Teams, but I’ll miss our daily musings.
To everyone reading this, thank you for being a part of this journey—the village we’ve built together, if you will. Here’s to new chapters, familiar faces and the shared passion that keeps us moving forward. Happy New Year and always stay curious!
About the Author
Sharon Spielman
Technical Editor, Machine Design
As Machine Design’s technical editor, Sharon Spielman produces content for the brand’s focus audience—design and multidisciplinary engineers. Her beat includes 3D printing/CAD; mechanical and motion systems, with an emphasis on pneumatics and linear motion; automation; robotics; and CNC machining.
Spielman has more than three decades of experience as a writer and editor for a range of B2B brands, including those that cover machine design; electrical design and manufacturing; interconnection technology; food and beverage manufacturing; process heating and cooling; finishing; and package converting.
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: @sharonspielman
Facebook: Machine Design
YouTube: @MachineDesign-EBM