Over the past 5 years the PC building industry has seen a boom in popularity. Small form factor PC building in particular has seen exponential growth over the last year or two. This focus on a smaller form factor was driven by smaller companies and start-ups catering to a small niche audience. Now larger and more established companies have begun hopping onboard putting out their own lines of SFF cases.

I went directly to the community for feedback. I posted my progress to Reddit.com under the r/sffpc community subreddit to hear what real users and enthusiasts had to say about it. I learned what they liked and what they think needed improvement. speaking with so many SFF PC enthusiasts about my design was a very special and enlightening experience. This style of research is invaluable and imperative to the design process and provided me with an endless font of information and suggestions to go off of as I continue the design process.

The design of this product is the result of blending the familiar with the unseen. For years case manufacturers have been pumping out strong, sturdy, and similar case designs. When it comes to the side panels of a case you have a few options; Sheet metal (steel, aluminum) or windowed (tempered glass, acrylic). Though products that lie in indirect competition including game consoles, media players, and other enclosed tech devices often have plastic molded parts that you don't see when it comes to pc cases. This method creates unique and practical design opportunities.