Frequently Asked Questions

About Us

  • Bootstrapping our services focuses on three key topics:

    • Lean practice (using either what you have or easy access tools & software)

    • Iterating fast (testing, learning, improving as fast as possible)

    • Scaling wisely (carefully selecting where to invest once you’ve reduced risks)

    This is intended to be a resource-efficient, risk-managed approach to product development.

  • Our aim is to reduce waste and maximise impact to reduce risk to your business in its early stages.

    We want to get you to a point where you can begin validating an MVP with customers as quickly as possible, whilst laying the foundations for topics that will allow you to scale effectively.

    Retrofitting topics like structural validation, design for manufacture (DFM), design for assembly (DFA), and design for price point is extremely difficult (and often very expensive) to retrofit. This only gets more challenging as products continue to increase in complexity.

  • A design engineer creates detailed plans and specifications for products, machines, and systems. This can include 3D CAD modelling, mechanical design, product development, and prototyping. We ensure every design is functional, safe, and optimised for manufacturing.

  • We work on a wide range of projects starting from initial concept generation through to preparation for manufacture.

    We have experience working in consumer electronic appliances, commercial tools, e-mobility, consumer products and many more.

    We have also developed multiple product development stage gate systems and critical paths with extensive experience in technical project management.

    Whether you need a full concept-to-production service, support to build a proof-of-principle rig, insight into how to bring structure to your hardware project delivery or just detailed CAD drawings, we can help.

  • Whilst many of our projects have been focused on bicycles, it’s certainly not our only area of expertise.

    Some of the other projects we’ve worked on include:

    • Motorcycle system packaging

    • Endoscopic surgery tools

    • Drug delivery device housings

    • Vacuum cleaners

    • Car body structures

    • Sports equipment

    • Plumbing fittings

  • We’re located just off Junction 12 of the M40 in the UK - halfway between Leamington Spa and Banbury.

Engagement

  • Costs depend on the complexity of the project, the required deliverables, and the time involved. We offer both fixed-price packages for clearly defined projects and hourly rates for flexible work. Contact us for a tailored quote.

  • We work with both local and remote clients depending on the project requirements and location.

    Warwickshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Worcestershire, Northamptonshire, Birmingham, and London are all easily accessible for us. Please contact us to discuss your specific requirements.

    Alternatively, we can utilise video calls, shared CAD files, and collaborative project management tools to deliver high-quality service provision anywhere in the world.

  • We work on contracts ranging from a few weeks for rapid-turnaround projects to multiple months for more complex developments.

    We’re flexible to discuss your needs.

  • Whilst we aren’t patent attorneys, we do have experience in preparing technical drawings and documentation to support patent or design registration applications.

    We also work under NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreements) to maintain confidentiality of sensitive information.

  • Yes, we have full professional indemnity and public liability insurance appropriate for participating in design engineering projects.

  • Absolutely! Our experience of working with companies in Germany, Austria, Spain, Portugal, South-East Asia and the US means that we’re comfortable collaborating outside of the UK.

  • Our work is conducted as independent contractors, providing services directly to clients. However, if required, we can discuss the possibility of working through an agency or umbrella company.

  • Some choose to engage a design engineer after the concept phase of a new product development.

    In our experience, this can often create difficulties further down the line when it comes to detailed engineering, commercialisation, compliance and preparation for manufacture.

    Instead, our preference is to partner with the designer and create a ‘sparring partner’ dynamic where each party challenges the other to create the best possible output.

Skills, Tools & Experience

  • With 12 years of experience in providing design engineering services both in-house and in an agency environment, we’ve delivered optimised and robustly engineered, manufacturable solutions for high profile global brands.

  • We apply design-for-manufacturability (DFM) principles early in the process, considering materials, tolerances, tooling, and assembly methods to ensure designs are practical, cost-effective, and production-ready.

    This is reinforced by our hands-on experience of taking a vast array of components to manufacture through various processes in Europe, South-East Asia and America.

  • For 3D CAD, our preference is either Solidworks, for which we’re certified professionals, or the browser-based package, OnShape.

    For FEA, we can work with SolidWorks Simulation, SIMScale, Inspire or SIMSolid.

  • Yes, we have in-house rapid prototyping facilities that are generally used for ad-hoc tests to maintain momentum in a project’s development.

    We also have a trusted network of suppliers, both in the UK and overseas, that can support with larger prototype parts when needed. This is often the route that we use when building PoP (Proof of Principle) rigs, for example.

  • We have developed components for the following manufacturing processes:

    • Injection molding

    • Roto molding

    • Reaction molding

    • Drape molding / Vacuum forming

    • Vacuum casting

    • Forging

    • Hydroforming

    • Gravity casting

    • CNC machining

    • Sheet metal fabrication

    • 3D printing (FDM, SLS, SLA & DMLS)

    In addition to this, we have extensive experience in collaborating directly with manufacturers all around the world to incorporate DFM (design for manufacture) considerations throughout the development process.

  • Whilst there are many crossovers between product design engineering and industrial design, they are also specialities in their own right.

    Depending on the project, our skillset can complement working alongside an industrial designer to strike a balance of styling and feasibility.