Deeplocal
A Carnegie Mellon spinoff that builds working hardware, not just screens.
Founded 2006 | Pittsburgh, PA, USA | ~75 employees
product-designweb-developmentai-development
What is Deeplocal?
Deeplocal spun out of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh in 2006, building a studio around robotics, hardware development, electrical engineering, and industrial design alongside standard software and creative work. WPP Digital acquired the studio in 2017. At around 75 people, Deeplocal does most of its prototyping and production in-house, which shows up in a client list — Google, Netflix, Airbnb, Lyft, Nike, Toyota, Volkswagen, PNC Bank — that regularly asks for physical, working prototypes rather than mockups.
Deeplocal works primarily with clients in Consumer products, Enterprise transformation, Automotive & mobility sectors. Its primary differentiator is: A Carnegie Mellon-spinoff studio that engineers and builds working hardware prototypes in-house, not just software mockups.
Deeplocal tech stack and services
FigmaReactArduino/embedded systemsCAD tools
| Service area |
|---|
| Product Design |
| Web Development |
| AI Development |
Deeplocal pricing
Short answer: Deeplocal uses a project-based (not published) pricing approach. Minimum engagement starts at Not published.
| Engagement model | Typical range | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed project | From Not published | Well-defined scope |
| Dedicated team | Variable; depends on team size | Large programmes or team augmentation |
Deeplocal does not publish a public rate card. Contact them directly via their website to get project-specific pricing.
Deeplocal pros and cons
| Advantages | Things to consider |
|---|---|
| +In-house robotics, electrical engineering, and industrial design capability alongside software and creative work | -A ~75-person team caps capacity for very large, multi-workstream programs |
| +Client list (Google, Netflix, Airbnb, Lyft, Nike, Toyota, Volkswagen, PNC Bank) spans tech, consumer, and automotive | -Hardware-and-prototype focus is a narrower fit for clients needing pure software UI/UX work |
| +WPP Digital backing since 2017 provides access to a larger global network when needed | -Pricing and minimum engagement size aren't published |
| +Two decades of continuous operation since its 2006 Carnegie Mellon spinout |
Deeplocal vs alternatives
How Deeplocal compares to the other top Product Design companies.
| Company | Best for | Key difference | Rating | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phenomenon Studio | Companies wanting independently verified design credentials. | Third-party-verified credentials (Compliancy Group-monitored HIPAA compliance, NN/g UX certification, 5.0 Clutch rating) rather than self-reported claims, behind 120+ shipped products | 4.7 | Full comparison |
| IDEO | Enterprises funding multi-year design transformation. | The firm most credited with mainstreaming the term 'human-centered design,' still running roughly two dozen studios worldwide three decades later | 3.8 | Full comparison |
| Frog | Enterprises needing digital plus physical/hardware design. | Still designs physical hardware (IoT, automotive, medical devices) alongside software, inside Capgemini Invent's enterprise consulting scale | 3.6 | Full comparison |
| R/GA | Large brands wanting design bundled with brand strategy. | Fuses product design with marketing and brand strategy for large platforms, now independently owned for the first time in over two decades | 3.6 | Full comparison |
| Accenture Song | Regulated enterprises, design within tech transformation. | 36 studios and 2,000+ specialists operating inside Accenture — the largest global footprint and compliance coverage in this pool | 3.8 | Full comparison |
| Work & Co | Premium brands, design paired with front-end engineering. | A client roster (Apple, IKEA, Nike, Disney) out of proportion with its ~425-person headcount, delivered through an engineering-heavy design-and-build model | 3.7 | Full comparison |
| Huge Inc | Large enterprise brands, big-agency scale mid-transition. | One of the oldest agency names in this pool, freshly rebuilt through a 2024 AEA Investors acquisition and Hero Digital merger | 3.5 | Full comparison |
| AKQA | Fortune 500 enterprises, design within a global agency... | A 6,000-person, 50-country agency network with more than half the Fortune 500's top 20 as clients, now part of WPP's AKQA Group | 3.6 | Full comparison |
| Method | Enterprises wanting design-thinking backed by GlobalLogic scale. | A quarter-century of design-thinking work for Google, Comcast, Samsung, and the BBC, now backed by GlobalLogic's engineering scale | 3.7 | Full comparison |
| MetaLab | Funded SaaS/fintech companies, full-stack design partner. | A Slack/Uber/Coinbase/Midjourney-caliber portfolio built by a 160-person studio, delivered full-stack from research through design systems | 4.0 | Full comparison |
| AND Digital | Large UK enterprises, design plus team capability-building. | Pairs product delivery for named enterprise clients (British Airways, Condé Nast) with capability-building for the client's own teams, at 1,000+ person UK scale | 3.6 | Full comparison |
| Fireart Studio | Startups/mid-market, design plus full software development. | 700+ delivered projects for 200+ clients, backed by Clutch's independently verified 'Leading UX Design Team' recognition | 4.3 | Full comparison |
| Qubstudio | Fintech, logistics, healthcare — MVP to enterprise redesign. | Currently Clutch's #1-ranked UX/UI company worldwide for 2026, with Red Dot Design Award recognition layered on top | 4.5 | Full comparison |
| Excited | SaaS/fintech teams, Clutch-ranked specialist, accessible rates. | A sustained Top 5 global UX company ranking on Clutch, with about 70% of reviews specifically citing quality and creativity | 4.5 | Full comparison |
| Gapsy Studio | Fintech, SaaS, healthcare — perfect-rated boutique. | A perfect 5.0/5.0 Clutch rating across 52 reviews, backed by 13+ international awards, from a company that doesn't publish its own headcount | 4.4 | Full comparison |
| Goji Labs | Startups and nonprofits, strategy-led design, accessible pricing. | A 2025 Inc. 5000 honoree that explicitly serves nonprofits and individual entrepreneurs, not only funded startups | 3.8 | Full comparison |
| Eleken | SaaS teams wanting a subscription embedded designer. | A SaaS-only subscription embedded-designer model (~$6,599/month) with a 4.9 Clutch rating across 200+ projects | 4.0 | Full comparison |
| UXDA | Banks and fintech, exclusively financial-services UX. | The only company in this pool exclusively focused on financial services UX, with 150+ banking and fintech platforms shaped across 39 countries | 4.2 | Full comparison |
| Onething Design | Companies needing BFSI, healthcare, automotive design under one... | Covers five distinct industries — BFSI, consumer, enterprise, healthcare, automotive — from one team with both US and India delivery presence | 3.7 | Full comparison |
| UX studio | Complex B2B SaaS teams, research-first before UI. | A research-first methodology comparable in rigor to Phenomenon Studio's own discovery-first approach, applied specifically to complex B2B SaaS products | 4.1 | Full comparison |
| Halo Lab | E-commerce and web-app teams, #1-ranked Dribbble team. | Currently the #1-ranked Dribbble Team globally, backed by 70+ design awards and a 4.9 Clutch rating | 4.3 | Full comparison |
| ANML | B2B, healthcare, AI startups wanting a small senior... | One of the smallest teams in this pool, offering the highest senior-to-client ratio for B2B, healthcare, and AI work | 3.7 | Full comparison |
| Momentum Design Lab | Clients wanting a long-tenured Silicon Valley studio. | Nearly a quarter-century of continuous operation, one of the oldest companies in this pool by founding date | 3.8 | Full comparison |
| Spaceberry Studio | Budget-conscious SaaS/AI/mobile teams, low-commitment subscription. | One of the most accessible entry points in this pool via a subscription model rather than a large upfront fixed-price contract | 3.6 | Full comparison |
| The Gradient | Fintech, healthcare, retail — AI-native, limited roster. | A deliberately small, AI-native company with a notable client list (Qatar Airways, Philips, Daimler AG) unusual for its self-limited scale | 4.1 | Full comparison |
| Orbix Studio | Seed-to-Series-B startups wanting a young, founder-close team. | The newest company in this pool, built specifically around the seed-to-Series-B funded startup stage | 3.5 | Full comparison |
Deeplocal FAQ
What is Deeplocal?
A Carnegie Mellon spinoff that builds working hardware, not just screens.
How much does Deeplocal charge?
Deeplocal uses project-based (not published) pricing. Minimum engagement starts at Not published. A discovery call is required to get project-specific quotes.
What tech stack does Deeplocal use?
Deeplocal works with Figma, React, Arduino/embedded systems, CAD tools. Primary industries served include Consumer products, Enterprise transformation, Automotive & mobility.
Is Deeplocal right for enterprise?
Brands needing working hardware prototypes, not just software. ~75 team size. Key consideration: A ~75-person team caps capacity for very large, multi-workstream programs.
What are the best Deeplocal alternatives?
The best alternatives to Deeplocal depend on your use case. Top options are:
- Phenomenon Studio: third-party-verified credentials (compliancy group-monitored hipaa compliance, nn/g ux certification, 5.0 clutch rating) rather than self-reported claims, behind 120+ shipped products
- IDEO: the firm most credited with mainstreaming the term 'human-centered design,' still running roughly two dozen studios worldwide three decades later
- Frog: still designs physical hardware (iot, automotive, medical devices) alongside software, inside capgemini invent's enterprise consulting scale
Compare Deeplocal with other Product Design companies
Deeplocal vs Phenomenon Studio Deeplocal vs IDEO Deeplocal vs Frog Deeplocal vs R/GA Deeplocal vs Accenture Song Deeplocal vs Work & Co Deeplocal vs Huge Inc Deeplocal vs AKQA Deeplocal vs Method Deeplocal vs MetaLab Deeplocal vs AND Digital Deeplocal vs Fireart Studio Deeplocal vs Qubstudio Deeplocal vs Excited Deeplocal vs Gapsy Studio Deeplocal vs Goji Labs Deeplocal vs Eleken Deeplocal vs UXDA Deeplocal vs Onething Design Deeplocal vs UX studio Deeplocal vs Halo Lab Deeplocal vs ANML Deeplocal vs Momentum Design Lab Deeplocal vs Spaceberry Studio Deeplocal vs The Gradient Deeplocal vs Orbix Studio
Verify all details directly with Deeplocal before making a decision.