Microscope X/Y Slider
A sliding stand for a digital microscope: an X/Y table under the workbench with linear rails and cable chains, so the microscope glides into place with a push.
MechanicalMotion controlPCB
Hardware product development · Shenzhen
We design hardware, and get it built.
Lavigne Labs is a Shenzhen hardware product-development team, ready to help you. We move fast: prototype sprints, development to production, and production support, led by Brian Barrett, who puts his reputation on the results.
PCB & product design·rapid prototyping·production in Shenzhen
- 13+ yrs
- Founder's engineering & manufacturing in China
- 6 yrs
- Founder ran an LED factory for Black & Decker
- 40+
- Engineers across our vetted Shenzhen partner teams
- Shenzhen
- Based where hardware gets built
The hard part
Getting hardware built is where it gets hard.
The gap between a working prototype and thousands of reliable units in the field is where products stall. The four places teams get stuck — and how we take them off the table.
A prototype that won't scale
We redesign for manufacturability so it can actually be built at volume, not just work once on a bench.
The wrong factory
We vet suppliers in person (capability, capacity, and track record) before a cent moves.
No real quality control
On-site inspections and pilot runs catch defects before they ship by the thousand.
Hidden costs & slipping timelines
Clear quoting, tooling oversight, and a build plan that holds, managed on the ground in your blind-spot timezone.
What we do
One team from schematic to shipping container.
Engineering and manufacturing under one roof — so your design, prototype, and production all speak to each other.
01
Electronics & PCB Design
Schematic to a manufacturable board: compact, sensor-driven, and built to survive the production line. DFM-ready and ready to make at volume.
- Schematic capture & PCB layout
- Sensors, power & wireless integration
- Firmware & bring-up support
- Design for manufacturability (DFM)
02
Rapid Prototyping
Turn a concept into a working device, fast. Get real hardware in hand to test and iterate: wearables, enclosures, and small-batch builds.
- Concept to functional prototype
- Mechanical & enclosure design
- Iterative testing & refinement
- Pre-production validation
03
Production in Shenzhen
Your hardware, built reliably at the source. We match your product to a vetted engineering team, run on-site quality control, and get hundreds or thousands of units into the field.
- Vetted factory and engineering-team matching
- On-site quality control & inspections
- Tooling, pilot runs & scale-up
- Logistics & timeline management
How it works
A clear path from idea to production.
Every engagement de-risks the next step before you commit to it — no leaps of faith, no surprises.
- 01
Review
We start with your design, prototype, or idea. We assess what's needed to manufacture it well and flag risks early.
- 02
Match & vet
We match your project to the right vetted Shenzhen engineering team for your product, schedule, and budget.
- 03
Pilot & QA
A pilot run plus hands-on quality control proves the process before you commit to full volume.
- 04
Scale
Production ramps with ongoing oversight on quality, cost, and timeline. Your hardware, in the field.
Working together
How we work together.
Three ways to work with our team, depending on where your product is. Lavigne Labs leads every one of them, and Brian Barrett is your first contact.
Prototype sprints
Where we startReal hardware in your hands, fast. Concept to working prototype, then quick rounds of testing and refinement. This is the hook: you learn more in a few weeks of building than in months of planning.
Development to production
Design to unitsTake a proven prototype through design for manufacturing, tooling, pilot runs and scale-up, with a vetted Shenzhen engineering team matched to your product. Lowest unit cost at volume is a welcome goal here.
Production support
Keep it shippingAlready in production? We help with supplier follow-up, on-site quality control, changes and second-source decisions, so units keep shipping on spec.
We move fast. Speed costs money; we spend it where it saves weeks.
Prototyping is where we start, because real hardware in your hands beats any plan. Once you are in production, getting the lowest unit cost at volume is a goal we are glad to work toward with you. In development, we would rather spend wisely to save weeks than shave pennies and lose months.
Who we work best with
- Funded startups with a device to get built and a clock that matters.
- Teams who have completed a Kickstarter and are ready to take the product to real production. We love working with you.
- Anyone who values speed in development and cost discipline once volume starts.
On the ground, not over email
Hardware doesn't get built over a video call. We are in the factories in person, reading schematics, walking the line, and catching problems before they ship by the thousand.
Selected work
Proof, not promises.
Boards, mechanisms, and products I designed and built with my own hands — the same hands that would be on your factory floor. This is what I bring to your product.
Modular MicroPython System
PyBikeBrain, a modular microPython board for E-bikes, inspired by the pyBoard, with stackable layers for serial, power and more.
PCBFirmwareModular
Articulated Camera Arm
An articulated camera arm of carbon fiber tubes, polished steel spheres and red aluminum pressure plates, inspired by Robin Renzetti's design.
MechanicalProduct design
Mechanical Keyboard
A reproduction of Input Club's open source K-type keyboard, built to study manufacturing and find ways to cut BOM cost.
PCBFirmwareEnclosure
Whiteboard Plotter
A whiteboard plotter inspired by draw bots, built on plywood with linear rails, a 3D printer control board and open-source software.
MechanicalMotion control
Hex Puck Lights
Black + Decker Hex Puck under cabinet lighting: a master puck with satellite pucks and a low-profile, screwless clip-together housing.
PCBLightingProduct design
About
Founded by Brian Barrett
Lavigne Labs was founded by Brian Barrett, a hardware engineer with 13+ years in China. He ran an LED factory for Black & Decker for six years, and worked with two EV startups building tilting vehicles and electric motorcycles.
Here is how we work. Lavigne Labs is the face and the accountable lead. Each project is matched to a vetted Shenzhen engineering team, design-led or production-integrated depending on what you need, with 40+ engineers across our partner teams. Brian is your first contact and puts his reputation on the results.
Questions
The things you're right to ask.
The honest answers to what every first-time hardware team worries about before they wire money overseas.
See all questionsHow do projects work?
Lavigne Labs is the face and the accountable lead on every project, and Brian Barrett is your first contact. We match your project to a vetted Shenzhen engineering team, design-led or production-integrated depending on what you need. Most projects start with a prototype sprint, move into development to production, and continue with production support. You can join at any stage.
What does speed cost?
We move fast. Speed costs money; we spend it where it saves weeks. Prototyping is where that pays off most: fast iterations, quick-turn parts, and decisions made in days. Getting the lowest unit cost at volume is a goal we're glad to chase in production. In development, we'd rather spend on learning quickly than shave the budget and lose weeks.
Who do you work with, and how do you take on projects?
We work best with funded startups and teams with a completed Kickstarter, and we love working with them. Lavigne Labs leads every project, matched to a vetted Shenzhen engineering team. We start with prototype sprints, then development to production, then production support, and we can join at any stage.
Can you do both the design and the manufacturing?
Yes — that's the whole point. Electronics, prototyping, and production are usually split across different people and vendors, with handoffs where things break. Our team covers the full path, from schematic to shipped units, so nothing gets lost in translation.
What kind of hardware do you work on?
Compact, real-world devices — PCBs and electronics, wearables, cameras and optics, LED and sensor-driven gadgets, and the enclosures around them. The badge and toys in the Work and Play sections are good examples of the form factors and bring-up involved.
We're a small or early-stage team — is that a fit?
Often the best fit. Early hardware is exactly where one accountable team that can both design it and get it built saves the most time and money, instead of stitching together a designer, a sourcing agent, and a factory who don't talk to each other. Funded startups and teams with a completed Kickstarter are who we work best with.
Do you work on-site or remotely?
We're based in Shenzhen and in the factories in person; that's the advantage. We work with teams anywhere in the world. The design can happen over a call, but the build, the vetting, and the quality control happen here, in person.
My prototype works — why can't they just make 10,000 of them?
Because a prototype proves the idea, not the process. Getting a design ready to manufacture — DFM — is the buyer's job, not the factory's, and skipping it is the most common way first runs blow up. Closing that gap is a big part of what we do.
Have a device to build?
Tell us what you're working on. We're in Shenzhen, close to the build, and ready to help. Brian Barrett will reply personally.