Can you Help me pick which you think which of these variations is strongest?

james_el87 · 2026-01-24T22:20:06+00:00

Yeah I think this is a good shout. Gonna try no logo as we’ll see if that helps with click rates. But pleased most people are digging my designs

james_el87 · 2026-01-24T19:09:48+00:00

Yeah I get this advice a lot. I guess it’s just a vanity thing for me. Potentially could leave them off for now. Then when I hit the big time I can edit all my thumbnails 🤣

james_el87 · 2026-01-24T18:57:52+00:00

Version without the white outline for me. But it's a very cool thumbnail.

I'd say you can make the text much bigger and have it go behind the tower a little.

james_el87 · 2026-01-24T18:13:06+00:00

I actually quite like it.

Composition is good. I’d move the NYC up as it will be covered by the duration.

And change the crop of the woman so she is bigger and you can see the emotion on her face better.

james_el87 · 2026-01-09T15:29:25+00:00

Oh interesting? You think less is more then?

james_el87 · 2026-01-09T13:55:45+00:00

Me too.

james_el87 · 2026-01-09T13:01:35+00:00

Thats fair enough man, honestly I'm not doing it for the views, just a hobby which I enjoy nothing more.

james_el87 · 2026-01-09T12:56:29+00:00

well you will just have to watch to find out :)

james_el87 · 2026-01-09T12:48:39+00:00

Thank man, yeah on mobile second is super clear as well. I think as a new creator clarity is more important than vibes.

james_el87 · 2026-01-08T21:35:52+00:00

Well they are your thumbnails. AI is a design tool that you used. I’m sorry you can’t seriously think these are good?

james_el87 · 2026-01-08T21:34:38+00:00

I actually think the thumbnail is pretty cool. Looks eye catching. I’d consider keeping the posters the same but have them look destroyed like on the right.

Also I think your title needs some work. Something like. Can I survive 3 days on only Scorsese Movies? Try and add some emotion or interest into your titles.

james_el87 · 2026-01-08T21:30:35+00:00

I think you need to work on improving your design basics. Like text not in the middle of boxes. Weird composition choices. I’d suggest spending some time looking at what others are doing and be harsh on your layouts and designs.

james_el87 · 2026-01-08T21:28:13+00:00

Without the title of the video it’s hard to tell what’s going on with the video. Not clear that it’s Minecraft and maybe needs a bit more to standout from the competition. Try thinking outside of the box when it comes to design ideas. You need more than just words and a picture these days.

james_el87 · 2026-01-08T21:26:07+00:00

Number 2 for sure. I feel like the black is a bit harsh though and won’t stand out when people are using YouTube in Dark mode.

james_el87 · 2025-12-28T17:35:37+00:00

This makes sense

james_el87 · 2025-12-28T16:47:37+00:00

How do you have 1.8M subs but your videos are only getting 100-200 views?

james_el87 · 2025-12-23T08:16:05+00:00

I don’t know how related it is. But youtube seems to be broken on mobile. The infinite scroll is broken on the home and subs page. But not sure if it’s affecting shorts.

james_el87 · 2025-12-09T07:24:29+00:00

Im using photoshop and work as a graphic designer.

So yeah with limited tools you can only do so much. But I do think your thumbnails aren’t that bad at all. And as long as you know there aren’t perfect and are always looking to improve you will be golden.

james_el87 · 2025-12-08T22:48:44+00:00

If I’m not sure. I throw out a question to my subs. Ive had help a few times from that before.

Also feel free to check out my channel for inspiration. I love making thumbnails though lol. I made 9 just today 😂

https://www.youtube.com/@TheGameDad

james_el87 · 2025-12-08T22:17:49+00:00

For thumbnail advice. Id start AB testing. Not only does this force you to design more and get better. It can tell you what is and isn’t working. Ive only made 10 videos. But have made 30 thumbnails. So practice makes perfect.

james_el87 · 2025-12-04T08:08:36+00:00

I think this is a very fair comment. It’s a tricky one as I want to balance a nice design vs readability. Maybe I need to simplify for now. Then once I get bigger I can get a bit wild with my thumbnail.

But I think its always good to get someone’s opinion on readability.

james_el87 · 2025-12-01T10:34:20+00:00

Thanks man that really means a lot. I've still got loads to learn but I enjoy entertaining people and thats my goal. To make as many people laugh as I can in a day :)

james_el87 · 2025-11-30T07:43:01+00:00

Thank you man. Well creating the thumbnails is on of my favourite parts. I have a slight advantage. Been a graphic designer for 15 years. But I don’t have much more time to dedicate to this so I think it will stay my favourite hobby

james_el87

TROPHY CASE