How to Easily Make Y2K Streetwear Apparel Designs | Design Tutorial

The Y2K design is among the most popular styles, particularly in streetwear. If you’re looking to sell custom t-shirts, this is the style you’ll want to go with and take advantage of its current popularity.

While Y2K streetwear designs look pretty complex, they don’t need to take hours or days to come up with one. You can create amazing designs in this style easily with Kittl. All the tools and elements you need are conveniently placed in the browser-based editor, making a complicated process much easier.

If you want to follow along with this tutorial and try Kittl right now, sign-up for free and let’s get started. We're open-minded to exploring new ways to make design tools more accessible for everyone.

Y2K Art Ideas for Graphic Designers

Before diving into the tutorial, we want to share 100 Y2K art ideas that you can use to create popular POD products! Create designs with these ideas to capture the nostalgic, futuristic, and bold aesthetic of the Y2K era. Or use them to get inspired and unlock your own Y2K art ideas!

Social Media Graphics

Metallic Aesthetic Text Boxes: Incorporate shiny, metallic borders around text boxes to evoke a futuristic, industrial vibe. These are ideal for sleek, modern social media layouts or tech-forward brands.

Glowing Gradient Backgrounds: Bright, glowing gradients—from neon pinks to electric blues—create an eye-catching, immersive feel perfect for vibrant Instagram stories or profile pages.

Throwback to 2000s Internet Browsers: Nostalgic nods to early versions of web browsers like Internet Explorer. Play with pixelated icons and retro scrollbars to add a fun, vintage tech aesthetic to social media designs.

Futuristic Hologram Animations: Hologram-like, animated effects that shimmer or flicker lend a futuristic touch to Instagram Reels or TikTok backgrounds, ideal for tech or fashion influencers.

Cyber Space-Themed Profile Icons: Design profile icons that feature elements of outer space, like stars or planets, combined with cyber-inspired graphics, to give a digital-age, cosmic twist.

Neon Emoji Sets: Bright, neon-colored emojis in non-traditional hues provide a playful, glowing update to standard emojis, perfect for a visually striking digital communication style.

Pixel Art Avatars: Retro pixel art designs, reminiscent of early 2000s gaming avatars, bring a nostalgic, gaming-centric vibe to profile pictures, perfect for geek culture enthusiasts.

Digital “Loading” Screens with 2000s Style: Classic "loading" icons, like spinning hourglasses or progress bars, create a playful throwback to early internet days, ideal for video teasers or transitions.

Nostalgic MySpace Page-Inspired Layouts: Recreate MySpace’s layouts, complete with glittery backgrounds, marquee text, and embedded music players, to offer a retro take on social media profiles.

Virtual Reality Glitch Art Effects: Add futuristic glitch effects, where text and images briefly distort or flicker, to create a hyper-digital, slightly chaotic vibe in social media posts or stories.

Apparel (Sweatshirts, hoodies, T-shirts)

Neon Grids and Laser Beams: Neon grid patterns and laser beams give a retro, futuristic vibe perfect for catching attention. Great for tech-savvy brands.

Metallic Bubble Text: This chunky, metallic bubble lettering screams Y2K nostalgia. It brings a playful yet edgy vibe to streetwear, ideal for bold T-shirts or jackets.

Retro-Futuristic Robots: Futuristic robots tap into the Y2K love for sci-fi and tech innovation. This idea would be really cool for jackets and hoodies, adding a cool effect to your stylish cocktail attire for events, parties, etc.

Chrome Logos with Holographic Effects: Add chrome logos with holographic sheens to apparel for a sleek, eye-catching design. Perfect for clothing with reflective or UV-reactive fabric such as activewear and sports apparel.

Pixel Art Characters: Pixelated avatars and characters bring back early 2000s gaming nostalgia, adding a fun, geek-chic touch to casual T-shirts or hoodies.

Cyber Dog Tags: Incorporating metallic dog tag designs with a cyberpunk twist makes for a perfect embellishment on jackets or accessories.

Fluorescent Tribal Tattoo Patterns: Neon tribal tattoos recall early 2000s fashion trends, adding an edgy, rebellious twist to clothing.

Glitch Art Typography: Glitch text styles that seem to "flicker" or break apart add a cutting-edge digital aesthetic to apparel.

Metallic Butterfly Designs: Butterfly motifs in holographic or chrome styles tie in with Y2K's delicate yet futuristic fashion trends, ideal for various styles of hoodies and jackets.

Space-Age Alien Motifs: Alien heads or space creatures in metallic or neon colors evoke a cosmic, rebellious spirit perfect for youth apparel.

Sticker and Decal Design

8-bit Gaming Icons: Retro, 8-bit game graphics, such as pixelated swords, hearts, or power-ups, create fun and nostalgic stickers, perfect for personalizing tech accessories or gaming setups.

"Under Construction" Web Icons: Classic "Under Construction" signs from early websites offer a quirky, vintage touch as decals, nodding to the early days of the internet.

Retro Software Icons (Microsoft Word 2000, Internet Explorer): Designs featuring iconic software logos from the early 2000s evoke tech nostalgia and are ideal for retro-inspired sticker collections.

Glittery Lips and Kissy Faces: Glitter-filled lips and exaggerated kissy face icons tap into early 2000s glam aesthetics, perfect for feminine or playful sticker designs.

Funky Y2K Slang in Bright Colors: Phrases like "As if," "Whatever," or "OMG" in neon-bright, bold fonts bring back the late '90s and early 2000s chatroom culture, perfect for fun, expressive decals.

Holographic Lightning Bolts: Stylized lightning bolts with holographic finishes evoke an edgy, futuristic aesthetic, ideal for adding boldness to notebooks, laptops, or phone cases.

Compact Disc Icons with Iridescent Effects: CD icons with rainbow-like, iridescent sheens offer a nostalgic nod to early digital media, great for stickers that decorate tech devices.

Early 2000s Instant Messaging Icons (AIM, MSN Messenger): Stickers featuring iconic symbols from early instant messaging platforms provide a fun, retro touch, perfect for tech enthusiasts.

Low-Res Digital Pets (Tamagotchi): Pixelated Tamagotchi pets bring a sense of nostalgia to stickers, ideal for playful, 90s kids or collectors of retro tech-inspired designs.

Chrome Dolphins: Sleek, metallic dolphin graphics reminiscent of early 2000s aesthetic trends create visually striking decals, perfect for personalizing water bottles or notebooks.

Poster Design

Hyper-Reflective Sunglasses in Neon: Sunglasses with neon reflections are iconic of Y2K fashion, making them perfect as centerpiece designs for wall art or posters.

Retro Phone Designs (Flip Phones, Nokia 3310): Incorporate old-school flip phones or the classic Nokia 3310 for posters evoking early-2000s tech nostalgia.

Psychedelic Fractal Patterns: Swirling, colorful fractal patterns create a trippy, Y2K rave vibe, great for statement posters.

Futuristic Cityscapes with Hovercars: Imaginary cities featuring hovercars represent the futuristic aspirations of the early 2000s, perfect for tech-themed spaces.

VHS Tape Aesthetic: Retro VHS imagery adds a touch of analog nostalgia, ideal for posters that channel vintage vibes.

2000s Rave Party Posters: Bright colors and futuristic fonts make rave-inspired posters pop, perfect for promoting events or as decorative artwork.

Saturn and Space Travel: Incorporating planets like Saturn and futuristic space travel hints at the optimism of Y2K culture and its love for all things cosmic.

Y2K Nostalgic Band Posters (Boybands, Popstars): Recreate posters of iconic boybands or popstars to evoke nostalgia for 2000s music and youth culture.

AI-Generated Digital Landscapes: Create futuristic AI landscapes with AI text-image generators and create a unique tech-dominated future for posters.

Binary Code Backgrounds: Binary code patterns add a matrix-like feel to posters, channeling Y2K's fascination with tech and hacking culture.

Packaging Design

Transparent Packaging with Metallic Accents: Use clear packaging materials with sleek metallic elements for a futuristic, tech-inspired look, perfect for beauty or tech product lines.

Neon Lighting Border on Boxes: Add neon-colored, glowing borders to packaging to create a futuristic, cyberpunk-inspired vibe, especially for gadgets or luxury products.

Iridescent Packaging Wraps: Holographic or iridescent finishes on packaging offer a visually dynamic, multi-colored sheen, ideal for cosmetics or limited-edition products.

Space-Themed Snack Packaging: Design snack packages with galaxy-inspired designs featuring stars, planets, and nebulae, evoking a cosmic, exploratory feel perfect for youth-focused products.

Compact Disc (CD) Style Labels: Label packaging with CD-inspired graphics, offering a nostalgic throwback to the early days of digital media and music-sharing culture.

Cyber Grid Patterns for Tech Product Boxes: Tech product packaging featuring grid patterns evokes the digital world and virtual spaces, ideal for electronics or tech-related items.

Glowing Cyberpunk Product Labels: Incorporate glowing, neon accents and futuristic fonts into product labels to channel a cyberpunk, tech-forward design ethos.

Futuristic Bevel and Emboss Typography: Bold, 3D typography with bevel and emboss effects adds depth and a sleek, high-tech feel to packaging, perfect for premium products.

Neon Gradient Beverage Bottles: Bright, gradient designs on beverage bottles create a vibrant, futuristic aesthetic, ideal for energy drinks or niche beverage markets.

Reflective, Futuristic Packaging Tape Design: Packaging tape with reflective, metallic designs and bold typography adds an edgy, futuristic touch to shipping materials.

Business Cards and Branding Collateral

Metallic Holographic Foil Embossing: Use holographic foil to emboss logos or details on business cards, giving them a high-tech, premium appearance.

Transparent Plastic Cards with Neon Elements: Transparent plastic business cards featuring bright neon highlights provide a futuristic and modern aesthetic, perfect for tech startups.

Chrome Typography with Beveled Borders: Chrome-style, 3D typography with beveled edges makes text pop, giving business cards a sleek, bold look.

Futuristic Circuit Board Backgrounds: Incorporate circuit board designs into branding materials for a tech-forward, futuristic touch that signals innovation.

Gradient Cyber Grids: Use gradient-filled cyber grids in branding collateral for a modern, digital-era design that appeals to tech-savvy audiences.

Pixel Art Characters on Business Cards: Add pixelated characters or avatars to business cards to evoke a retro gaming feel, perfect for tech or gaming companies.

Minimalist Futuristic Fonts with Glowing Edges: Sleek, futuristic fonts with glowing neon edges add a high-tech, minimalist vibe to branding materials.

Iridescent Background with Metallic Logo: Pair iridescent backgrounds with metallic logos for a luxurious, futuristic look in branding materials.

Digital Wave Patterns: Digital wave or soundwave patterns give a high-tech, modern aesthetic, ideal for tech-focused business cards or brochures.

Y2K-Inspired QR Code Designs: Add futuristic, Y2K-style QR codes with gradient colors or pixelated edges to business cards for a modern, tech-centric touch.

Mug and Drinkware Design

Neon Glow Waveforms: Bright neon waveforms wrap around mugs or drinkware, offering a dynamic, modern look perfect for tech-themed designs.

Chrome Holographic Pixel Art: Pixelated designs with holographic, chrome effects evoke a futuristic, retro-gaming aesthetic, perfect for geek-chic drinkware.

Retro-Futuristic Smiley Faces: Combine classic smiley faces with chrome or holographic finishes to give mugs a fun, playful, yet futuristic appeal.

Glitch Art Typography on Mugs: Typography that appears to "glitch" or distort brings a modern, digital aesthetic to mugs, ideal for tech-savvy or creative audiences.

Digital Sunset with Space Elements: Futuristic sunsets with pixelated stars and planets create an otherworldly, calming design for mugs and drinkware.

Metallic Bubbles and Liquid Effects: Shimmering, metallic bubble designs evoke a sense of fluidity and futurism, adding an eye-catching, modern touch to drinkware.

8-bit Iconography (Retro Consoles, Game Controllers): 8-bit images of classic gaming consoles or controllers make for nostalgic, fun designs on mugs and water bottles.

Holographic Flames Wrapping Around: Wrap holographic, glowing flames around drinkware for an edgy, cyberpunk-inspired look.

Virtual Reality Headset Designs: Mugs with futuristic designs featuring VR headsets or augmented reality elements cater to tech enthusiasts and gamers alike.

Cyber Butterfly Graphics: Holographic or metallic butterfly motifs offer a delicate yet futuristic aesthetic, perfect for adding a unique flair to mugs or drinkware.

Accessory Design (Bags, Hats, Jewelry)

Iridescent Alien Heads: Alien head icons in iridescent finishes are eye-catching, giving off a playful, otherworldly vibe for accessories like hats or pins.

Chrome Flame Logos: Chrome flames are bold, evoking a "fast and furious" vibe, making them great for edgy accessory designs on hats or bags.

Mini Heart-Shaped Glasses Graphics: This fun, flirty motif ties into Y2K's obsession with cute and quirky designs—perfect for bags or earrings.

CD Disc and Floppy Disk Icons: Tech nostalgia is strong with CD and floppy disk graphics, ideal for adding a retro vibe to backpacks or hats.

Digitalized Smileys and Emojis: Emoticons are a staple of early 2000s communication, making them playful and recognizable for use on jewelry or caps.

Holographic Circuit Board Patterns: Tech-inspired accessories featuring holographic circuit board patterns appeal to a digital-savvy audience and complement modern streetwear.

Y2K Pixel Heart Patches: Add adorable, pixelated heart patches to backpacks or hats for a retro-gaming aesthetic that stands out.

Beaded Butterfly Clips Patterns: Beaded butterfly motifs evoke classic Y2K hair accessories, repurposed here for patterns on bags or jewelry.

Cyberpunk Dragon Graphics: Bold, cyberpunk-style dragons in neon or chrome are striking, particularly on larger accessories like bags.

Liquid Metal Logos: Metallic, liquid-like logos create a sleek, modern aesthetic that works well on hats, bags, or even jewelry.

Web Design Elements

Retro Pop-Up Windows: Add playful, retro-inspired pop-up windows to websites, reminiscent of the early days of web browsing, for a nostalgic, interactive experience.

Matrix-Style Code Backgrounds: Incorporate scrolling green code backgrounds inspired by The Matrix to create a mysterious, tech-savvy atmosphere for web interfaces.

3D Floating Geometric Elements: Utilize 3D shapes that hover or float within a website’s design, adding a modern, interactive touch, perfect for tech-forward brands.

Y2K Loading Bars and Icons: Bring back the visual charm of Y2K-era loading bars and icons, offering users a playful, nostalgic nod while they wait for content to load.

Futuristic Cyber Button Styles: Buttons with neon outlines, glowing effects, or holographic finishes give websites a sleek, futuristic aesthetic.

Metallic Scrollbars: Add metallic scrollbars that shimmer or reflect light, enhancing the user's experience with a techy, modern touch.

Early 2000s Chatroom Interface: Recreate the layout and design elements of early chatrooms to evoke nostalgia, perfect for retro-inspired websites or forums.

Sci-Fi Inspired Dropdown Menus: Design futuristic dropdown menus that look like they’re straight out of a sci-fi film, complete with neon highlights and holographic effects.

Holographic Site Navigation: Implement navigation bars with holographic or iridescent effects for a futuristic and cutting-edge web experience.

Y2K-Inspired Digital Dashboards: Retro dashboard designs, featuring metallic buttons, gradients, and pixelated fonts, evoke early 2000s tech and are perfect for apps or interactive websites.

Logo Design

Metallic Wordmarks with Gradient Fills: Metallic text with gradient effects is a sleek, futuristic look that appeals to tech brands or edgy streetwear.

3D Geometric Logos: Create sharp, geometric logos in 3D for a futuristic feel that’s perfect for tech companies or modern brands.

Abstract Metallic Objects: Add glossy, abstract metal shapes to logos for a high-tech, futuristic appearance.

High-Gloss Chrome Lettering: Chrome typography makes logos pop with a reflective, luxurious finish—ideal for fashion or tech brands.

Futuristic Serif Font Logos: Modernize classic serif fonts with futuristic flair, pairing tradition with tech for professional logo designs.

Holographic Emblem Logos: Add holographic effects to emblem logos to make them stand out with a high-tech, premium feel.

Tech-Inspired Cyber Logos: Incorporate circuit patterns, tech elements, and futuristic fonts into logos that evoke the Y2K tech boom.

Retro-Technology Themed Logos: Design logos inspired by retro gadgets like cassette players or first-gen computers, mixing nostalgia with innovation.

Space-Themed Brand Logos: Reimagine design with stars and planets to create retro futuristic logos, combining sleek tech elements with playful nostalgia.

Neon Tube Light Logos: Neon-inspired logos add a glowing, electric aesthetic perfect for streetwear or nightlife brands.

Step-by-Step Guide to Make Y2K Streetwear Apparel Designs

1. Find an Amazing Illustration

Start by choosing an illustration that will be the centerpiece of your design. You can do so through the “Add Elements” menu on the left. We chose the “Mythological Creatures” gallery and went with Medusa’s head. 

The choice of the central illustration is very important because it determines the rest of your design. We picked Medusa due to how popular ancient Greek and Roman elements are in modern Y2K designs.

2. Insert High-Tech Elements

The Y2K style often combines deity images with modern elements. That’s why we went back to “Add Elements” and looked for “HUD Elements” under “Illustrations.” We inserted several high-tech graphics behind Medusa’s head and a few more for later use in the design. In addition, we grabbed a loading bar element and positioned it below the Medusa. 

Then, we went to the “Abstract” section and found “Wavy Grids.” We chose a pattern that gives a futuristic vibe, enlarged it, and placed it over and slightly under Medusa’s head. Finally, we put the grid to the background, so the head covers it partially. 

Once all elements are in place, it’s time to tweak the colors. We chose a neon green for the Medusa and a pastel purple for the futuristic elements.

3. Choose Your Y2K Fonts and Create Framing

Before choosing a font, insert a custom bar into the graphic. You can do this by going to “Basic Shapes” in the elements menu and using a rectangle. We made the rectangle the same size as the loading bar we previously inserted. Then, we inserted another rectangle and resized it to create two sections within the bar.

The custom bar will serve as a frame for your text. To make the text stand out, set the rectangle to transparent. We also changed its border color to match the grid and other high-tech elements.

When it comes to the choice of fonts, you’ll need something that matches the Y2K aesthetic. In our case, Liberation Sans Kicks fits right in with the futuristic components.

We typed “2023” and “AD,” placing the former in the larger section and the latter in the smaller one. We chose the same green color for this text as Medusa’s head.

While adding custom elements, we’ll create some thin framing elements around Medusa’s head. We’ll also use the rectangle element for the framing.

Insert a rectangle and resize it until it’s the width of the grid lines. Then, stretch it to the height of two grid squares. Of course, these measurements can be approximate – try to get it as close as possible but don’t spend too much time trying to nail the exact dimensions. Once the rectangle looks more like a thick line, change its color (both inner and border) to pastel purple.

Now take the rectangle, copy it, flip the copy by 90 degrees, and create a corner shape. Drag the corner to the left end of the graphic – in line with the edges of the left HUD element. Select the entire corner, copy and flip it, and position it the same way on the right side. 

Use the same starting element to create the lower part of the frame. Create an upright line, then copy it and flip it by 90 degrees. However, this time don’t make a corner shape of the two lines. Instead, position them to create a sideways T shape. Position it approximately in line with Medusa’s mouth, then copy, flip, and drag it to the other side.

Finally, select all elements on your canvas and drag them to the lower left section to make space for additional text.

4. Insert More Text

To find inspiration for the text, you can refer to the Wikipedia page about Medusa. We found several interesting quotes there and decided to insert them into our design.

The first word we found was “Metamorphoses.” We decided to split the word into two parts for the purpose of the graphic: “Meta” and “morphoses.”

We chose the Basement Grotesque font for “Meta.” We turned the text into all caps, rotated it by 90 degrees, and placed it beside Medusa’s head and on the right. Then, we resized the text to make it the same height as the head.

For “morphoses,” we chose the FDJ Neumeister B font and also made it all caps. Rather than rotating the text, we resized the text box to be only as wide as a single letter and made it a bit shorter than the “Meta” part. Modifying text this way will align all letters one below the other.

We made the text purple like the tech elements. 

Another quote from the Wikipedia page seemed really epic, so we inserted it as well. The text was “Made out of the terror.” To insert the text, we copied “mophoses” – that way, we kept the same font, all caps, and letter color. We made the new text wider and thinner and placed the new text above Medusa.

5. Fill Out Your Graphic With Additional Elements

Although we’re not done with text, we’ll briefly shift our attention to the HUD elements that we hid previously. To make them visible again, hit W.

We took two elements, tweaked their colors to match the graphic, and placed them top-left above Medusa. With the new elements in place, it’s time to add even more text. We took another epic quote: “Near them their sisters three, the Gorgons, winged with snakes for hair – hatred of mortal man.”

We made a box frame for the new text on the right side, beside the new HUD elements, and inserted the text into it. We changed the font to Milkman to take advantage of its unique letters and graphs. 

Next, we added “Respect the deity” at the top left. We did this text in Pixal font with a massive “deity” and smaller “Respect the” above it. But we’re not done with text just yet.

We also copied the part of the Wikipedia article that tells Medusa’s story and inserted it next to “Respect the deity.” As a finishing move, we added another mythological creature in the empty space on the right. Of course, we adjusted the colors of the new elements. We added similar corners to the creature as we did with Medusa’s head and added a wavy grid in its background.

6. Add Texture

We wrapped up the graphic by adding a texture from the “Textures” menu. We changed it to “Alpha Mask” and toggled “Clip Content” to make the texture visible on the elements but not on the background.

With the texture added, our design is complete. But you don’t have to stop here. Feel free to continue playing around with Kittl and customize your design even more.