01
Mechanical Design
Precision engineering for commercial and consumer goods. From concept geometry to production-ready drawings — designs that can actually be built, and built efficiently.
Pacific Northwest · Product Development Studio · Est. 2009
From concept
to shelf.
ThornWerks Design takes your product from napkin sketch to manufactured reality — mechanical engineering, prototyping, and factory sourcing under one roof.
20+
Years experience
100+
Products launched
Trusted by
what we do
End-to-end
End-to-end
product development
Every phase of the product lifecycle in-house — from the first sketch to the factory floor, backed by over a decade of manufacturer relationships.
02
Rapid Prototyping
In-house 3D printing and laser cutting for fast iteration before committing to tooling. Ergonomic mockups, mechanism proofs-of-concept, and looks-like / works-like models.
03
Manufacturing & Sourcing
15+ years of relationships with US and Asia factories — finding the right partner for your volume, quality, and cost targets, then staying involved through production.
how we work
A proven path
A proven path
to market
We can engage at any phase — but our most successful projects start at the beginning.
01
Discovery
Goals, constraints, market, and budget — framing the right problem before the first line of CAD.
02
Design
SolidWorks models, FEA, production drawings, and DFM reviews to get the design right before tooling.
03
Prototype
In-house rapid iteration to validate form, fit, and function before the first factory dollar is spent.
04
Source
Established factory relationships to find the right manufacturing partner for scale, cost, and quality.
05
Launch
Quality oversight, production ramp support, and commercialization strategy from shelf to market.
client work
Products we've
Products we've
brought to life
From outdoor gear and medical devices to tactical accessories and precision tooling — a cross-industry track record of ideas made real.
about the founder
Beren McKay
ThornWerks Design is based in the Greater Seattle area. Founder Beren McKay holds advanced degrees in Mechanical Engineering with a focus in mechatronics, and brings two decades of industry experience taking products from napkin sketches to the production line.
His work spans high-volume digital printers, 3D printers, augmented reality heads-up displays, and LED lighting systems. For the past 12 years, Beren has focused exclusively on hard and soft consumer goods — building deep expertise across the full product lifecycle and factory relationships in the US and Asia that most designers simply don't have.
ThornWerks is a focused consultancy, not a large agency. You're working directly with a senior engineer who has personally taken products from sketch to shelf — not handed off to a junior team.
Connect on LinkedIn
SolidWorks & CAD
FEA Analysis
Mechatronics
3D Printing
Laser Cutting
US Factory Network
Asia Factory Network
Brand Development
company history
Founded
Founded
in 2009
2009
Founded as Brambleberry Werks. First client was RATLab, an R&D think tank, who needed engineering support on a heads-up display system for Bell Helicopters.
2013
Expanded into LED lighting. Rebranded as ThornWerks Design — combining the Nordic letter thorn (þ) with the Germanic werks. The logo is a stylized letter thorn. First original product: a pen/stylus for early tablet technology.
2016
Second product line: a new take on business card cases and wallets. A single-clip design for storage and cards, with a wallet version and a premium edition following the next year.
2022
Services expanded to prototyping, manufacturing sourcing, and product strategy. With a dramatically increased client load, the product side of the business was spun off as its own dedicated brand — Pepperwool — letting ThornWerks focus entirely on design consultancy.
get in touch
Start your
Start your
project
Tell us about what you're building. We'll reply within one business day.
Email
Location
Greater Seattle Area, USA
LinkedIn
Services
Mechanical Design · Rapid Prototyping · Manufacturing Sourcing · Commercialization · Brand Development · Business Strategy