Y2K Zine – Year Zero

November 2020 – Web/Print Publication, Photoshop, InDesign, 2067 x 2953 px

For the final project of Typography 3 I created a publication dedicated to the Y2K aesthetic movement, originating in the early 2000’s. My own nostalgia for this period and all it’s cultural quirks made this a fun project, even though many of the design practices from the time period could be considered “bad” or outdated now.

I started by determining what exactly defined the Y2K time period in terms of design: Bubbly forms, shiny surfaces, bright neon colors, egregious typography, drop shadows, and more. I took those elements and combined them in a way that didn’t only evoke a familiar sense of nostalgia but also alluded to the future of design and what can be accomplished now with the tools we have available to us. This was primarily conveyed through the replication of older methods with more experimental techniques added such as layering of image and grid-breaking structures.

Deciding on typography and layout was the most difficult part of the project. In order to evoke the Y2K era the type needed to wacky and colorful, but also speak to the sleek imagined futurism fueled by the ongoing technology boom. I ended up carrying over the techniques I experimented with in the main header type over to the overall grid structure of the publication, breaking traditional systematic conventions in favor of experimentation.

Web publication: https://xd.adobe.com/view/409ae789-194a-4d34-b2e4-533637baf39a-15c9/