Scared Shirtless? Tackle Your Tshirt Design and Ecommerce Fears With These Tips!

"Creativity is intelligence having fun." — Albert Einstein.

As a print-on-demand seller, you’re combining creative brilliance with entrepreneurial grit. Today, lean into the “fun” side of what you do. Experiment, mess up, laugh, and find unexpected wins in the chaos. That’s where the magic (and sales) happen.

Scared Shirtless

Face Your Fears: The Overwhelming Product Catalog

If you’re scared of creating a huge product catalog because you think “what if nothing sells?”, here’s a trick: create micro-collections around specific moods or events. For example, instead of making 50 random designs, try 10 that fit "funny retro workout vibes" or "holiday office party disasters."

• Actionable Advice: Pick one niche, create a 5-design series, and promote it as a cohesive collection. This simplifies marketing and makes your shop look polished and purposeful.

Talking Shirt

Trend Alert: “Core Cultures”

Social media is buzzing about aesthetic “cores” like Cottagecore, Barbiecore, and Goblincore. Turn this into a slate of t-shirt designs by exploring niche subcultures and layering them with humor or relatable messages.

• Example: Goblincore t-shirt that says: “Hoarder of Snacks and Treasure”.

• Actionable Advice: Look up emerging “core” trends (Pinterest is gold for this) and add a playful twist that resonates with your audience.

Same Shirt Different Day

Revamp an Ordinary Design: The Power of Visual Mashups

Got a basic text design? Pair it with a fresh visual style to give it a second life. For example, take a simple motivational quote like “Keep Going” and overlay it on a vintage concert poster style background.

• Actionable Advice: Use design tools like Kittl to experiment with layering text on unexpected visual styles (retro, surrealism, or grunge textures).

Tough Shirt

Stay Mentally Tough: Track Small Wins

The grind of ecommerce can feel endless, especially when sales are slow. Combat burnout by setting micro-goals you can celebrate daily—like uploading 3 new designs or getting 5 more views on your storefront.

• Actionable Advice: Keep a daily tracker of small accomplishments and give yourself rewards for hitting them (even if it’s just your favorite snack or a guilt-free Netflix binge).

Talking Shirty

Buzzwords to Watch: “Delulu” and “Main Character Energy”

Social media is overflowing with Gen Z lingo like “Delulu” (delusional in a fun way) and “Main Character Energy.” Both phrases are ripe for playful t-shirt designs that resonate with younger audiences.

• Example: “Proud Member of Delulu Nation” or “Main Character in Someone Else’s Drama.”

• Actionable Advice: Research trending hashtags on TikTok to pick up more slang and phrases that are blowing up. Create clean, text-only designs that are punchy and easy to read.

Batshirt Crazy

Seasonal Opportunity: Winter Slogans with a Twist

Winter-themed designs are heating up, but clichés like “Baby It’s Cold Outside” are overdone. Tap into the seasonal mood with something edgy and fresh like:

• “Cold Hands, Full Heart, Empty Wallet”

• “Snow Problem Too Big to Solve”

• Actionable Advice: Play off common winter struggles (like being broke after holiday shopping) and turn them into designs with humor and relatability. Test them as text-based designs with bold fonts to see what resonates.

Remember, every great design starts with a bold idea—so get out there, take risks, and let your creativity storm the world.