Who we are
Fettle is a Bristol-based product design and engineering consultancy founded by Dan Thompson and Chris Irlam — engineers with 30+ years of experience delivering consumer and medical products at Dyson and Elvie.
Fettle (verb) — to adjust, tune, or finish something so it works just right.
We are hands-on designers and engineers who enjoy getting stuck in - refining, improving, and solving problems to get the right solution.
At Fettle, we:
are practical problem-solvers
thrive in the detail
specialise in fast, hands-on improvement
make imperfect things work better
value real-world experience over theory
Fettle was founded by Dan Thompson and Chris Irlam.
“We started Fettle because we believe the best products come from senior, hands-on engineering leadership. Not account managers and junior teams. Us, on your project, from first conversation to final delivery.”
“We've taken complex, connected products from early ideas through to mass manufacture, so we know how challenging that journey can be. Through Fettle, we want to share that experience and help other teams move forward confidently.”
Dan Thompson
Product Development Director
Dan has led design and engineering on some of the world's most recognised consumer products — including the Dyson Airwrap, the Dyson Cordless Vacuum Platform, and the Elvie Stride breast pump.
With 20 years of experience spanning concept, design development, DFM, global supplier management, and mass manufacture scale-up, Dan brings the full picture to every project. He holds 16 granted patents and an MEng in Product Design Engineering (1st Class, University of Glasgow / Glasgow School of Art).
Dan often leads projects where Fettle takes full delivery responsibility, while also supporting clients who need strategic direction, design leadership or help navigating complex technical decisions.
Chris Irlam
Technical Director
Chris is a rare engineer — equally at home designing injection-moulded components, writing embedded firmware, and laying out a PCB. At Elvie he delivered regulated medical products as Principal Engineer, developing novel breast pump systems from concept through to production-ready products.
Before Elvie, Chris spent four years at Dyson on the cordless vacuum platform, was selected as a Dyson Pioneer, and founded Shredmate — a Kickstarter-funded connected sports sensor he took from concept to shipped product, including post-launch support."
He holds two published US patents. Chris often leads technically demanding programmes at Fettle, particularly where products sit at the intersection of mechanics, electronics and firmware.
Why Fettle?
We believe exceptional products come from:
Clear requirements and ownership.
Collaborative working.
Strong engineering fundamentals.
Respect for how products are made, tested and used.
Who we work best with?
We work best with founders, product leads, and engineering teams who need senior capability without agency overhead. If you want to work directly with experienced engineers who stay hands-on throughout - we’re probably a good fit.
Based in Bristol. Working with clients across the UK and worldwide.