Slickcase: Validating a Niche for the Unihertz Titan 2
Building Slickcase in public: Validating interest in a phone case, moving from idea to mockup to manufacturing to production. The journey of a full physical product lifecycle.
Building Slickcase in public: Validating interest in a phone case, moving from idea to mockup to manufacturing to production. The journey of a full physical product lifecycle.
Validating interest for a phone case niche
As a product designer with a passion for solving overlooked user needs, I’ve been exploring a side project that taps into a surprisingly underserved market — premium phone cases for the Unihertz Titan 2. This beefy, niche smartphone has a dedicated global fanbase, yet its accessory options are limited and often lack the quality and design polish users expect.
Validating Demand Before Building
Rather than jumping straight into production, I took a validation-first approach. I built a simple pledge system to gauge genuine buying interest, collect feedback on pricing, style, and colors, and identify the most promising product variants. The results were eye-opening:
So far:
101 total pledges
$2,850 in potential revenue at an average price of $28
93 Kickstarter backers engaged — 92% of respondents have previously backed projects
Top market regions: US (50%), Canada (10%), UK (6%), Italy (5%), Australia (5%), with pledges coming from over 20 countries.
Design Insights from Early Supporters
The data gave me clarity on product direction:
Case type split: 62% prefer the rugged Edgeguard, while 38% opted for the slimmer Slickshell.
Color trends: Black dominates at 21%, followed by McLaren Orange and Slate Grey (both at 13%), with bold options like Blood Red and Military Green also ranking high.
Price sensitivity: Most pledges fall into the $0–25 range, validating the need for an affordable but premium-feel product.
Why This Matters
This isn’t just about selling cases — it’s about proving that even in niche markets, a thoughtful, design-led approach backed by real user data can uncover real opportunities. By listening to the Titan 2 community before committing to manufacturing, I’m ensuring Slickcase ships products that users actually want, in the colors, styles, and price points they’ll buy.
Slickcase is still in the early stages, but with strong interest already validated, the next step will be moving into small-batch production and delivering a product that fills a clear gap in the market.
