The challenge
Thumbnails are seen tiny, next to dozens of others. Every lesson needed to be clear in a glance, and each series recognisable so viewers keep watching the next episode.
Case Study — YouTube · 2023
ZAmericanEnglish
A free English course on YouTube taught by Professor Ibrahim Adel. The thumbnails had one job: make the lesson clickable in a second, with the teacher's face, one big Arabic promise and a colour per series.
21thumbnails
5+series
1face, one voice
2023year
The idea
Readable at thumbnail size.
- Client
- ZAmericanEnglish
- Format
- YouTube thumbnails · 16:9
- Designs
- 21
- Year
- 2023
The approach
A fixed recipe: the teacher on one side with a clear expression, a short Arabic headline in heavy type, and a series colour: gold for pronunciation ("كيف تنطق"), purple for vocabulary from zero, red for courses and news.
The result
A channel page where every series is instantly recognisable, including the "9 million subscribers" celebration thumbnail.
YouTube thumbnailsPhoto manipulationArabic typography
All 21 thumbnails
One face, many series.
Use the arrows or pick a thumbnail below. Click the image to see it full screen.
Your channel next?
A good thumbnail is half the click.
If your videos deserve more views, the thumbnail is the first place to start.
21thumbnails
5+series
Next projectOctuCode YouTube Thumbnails