Deciding who to Target

When designing anything, it is important to consider "who" you are designing for. In this particular case of pop-culture/nerd/animal t-shirt designs-I can say that I am honestly designing for myself, that is, t-shirts that I would like to wear.

I like owls [Threadless.com]

I would say this age group is early teenagers, to late twenties. Colour, composition and content are all important and things to consider.

Colour:
I would say that brighter colours are likely to be acceptable amongst this audience, colours that stand out and attract attention may be exactly what the wearer is after. It is  also important to consider what colour the design is and what colour t-shirt it is placed on. For example a mostly black design on a white background wouldn't be suitable for a black t-shirt. Also, some t-shirt colours may aesthetically not compliment the design if it is coloured.

Composition:
As in positioning on the shirt. Centred or in the middle may send a different message than lower on the shirt or placed in the edge or in a corner.

I personally dislike designs that take up most of the shirt, a large and garish. I prefer simpler, more succinct designs that don't overtly contrast to everything I am wearing. However, from looking through galleries I can see that a lot of designs are placed blatantly large and dominating positions. This means I should consider what other people may like in regards to design placement if I wish to appeal to a wider target audience. 

Content:
While the content is up to my own tastes, through searching other websites I can determine patterns and themes of subject matter. I have noticed that retro video games, movies, music and comical puns are commonly interested on popular t-shirts. The joke of the t-shirt has to be clever and unique, while still able to be understood and not too obscure.


Analysing designs:
While I still may like my designs it is important to take a step back and analyse the design like I would if I was going to actually buy the t-shirt. If I can honestly say that I would wear it then I can pursue and further work the design.

Getting a second opinion:
It then be at this point that I would also ask for peer advice and criticism on my work to determine of the design is accessible and works on an artistic and design level.