Hey all, I presented this in one of our Discord livestreams a little while back, and I'm sharing my notes here to offer up for those who perhaps want some kind of guide for starting thumbnail design. While there are many different kinds of elements in graphic design, I have selected three areas where I've collapsed some of those elements together to hopefully serve as a starting point for creators needing that.
I hope it helps! Also, I'm happy to answer any questions anyone has about any of these notes.
Happy creating!
Aesthetic
(font goes well with the theme, but it’s not great for the full title and it is difficult to read)
(can barely read the text and there are too many font choices that it comes across as disjointed)
(simple, clean, good use of contrast)
Background
Alignment
Extra Resources
I hope it helps! Also, I'm happy to answer any questions anyone has about any of these notes.
Happy creating!
Aesthetic
- The key is consistency (colors, fonts, filters)
- With branding (logo, icon, banner), try to limit yourself to colors that compliment each other
- Example A: https://www.youtube.com/c/femkedesign (thumbnails are all split with half-text and half-image; utilizes the same two fonts; clear color palette)
- Example B: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmypYv02UGldiA8g7j2mCyw (consistent color palette, similarly designed thumbnails, same two fonts)
- Example C: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoeJKtPJLoIBqWq4o8TDLpA (very simple aesthetic; consistent thumbnail design; sans-serif fonts)
- Fonts
- Example A: https://www.youtube.com/c/minimalistbaker (like her concept, her style is simplistic and minimalist: images of the food and the title of the food)
- Example B: https://www.youtube.com/c/Shelbizleee (crafty, DIY aesthetic which matches her zero waste concept)
- Example C: https://www.youtube.com/c/DNDWizards (fantasy/medieval theme with dark reds and black, which compliment the game’s branding)
- Importance of contrast/readability (not all fonts are one-size-fits-all)
(font goes well with the theme, but it’s not great for the full title and it is difficult to read)
(can barely read the text and there are too many font choices that it comes across as disjointed)
(simple, clean, good use of contrast)
- Our Thumbnail Generator tool (available for all licenses but limited for Starter users) allows users to upload their own fonts
- Colors (try to stick to one color palette; can choose complementary colors and/or pull colors from the channel’s videos)
Background
- You have the choice of it being a solid color or gradient (requires a little more work since you have to remove the background of the images you do want in the thumbnail, but the benefit is that the focus of the thumbnail is clearer)
- The other option you have for a background is an image (can be trickier to place text and make it readable, but it’s generally easier to make since you don’t have to remove the background)
Alignment
- Rule of Thirds: for both video and graphics (thumbnails, banners), it’s good to follow this rule, as it’s just much more professional and aesthetically pleasing. The idea is that you want to imagine your frame as being split into an equal grid of three rows and three columns. Generally you want to imagine placing your subject(s) in the left, center, or right third of the frame and leaving the other thirds more open or without the main subject.
- Our Thumbnail Generator offers this grid option to help you see this Rule of Thirds easier.
Extra Resources
- Canva (if you're seeking a browser-based graphic design program; there is both a free and paid version)
- Adobe Color Wheel www.color.adobe.com (helpful when choosing your palette)
- Fiverr, BrandCrowd.com, 99 Designs (if you'd like to pay someone to design your thumbnails for you)
- Templates that we have here in our forum: https://community.tubebuddy.com/index.php?threads/45795/#post-146283
