YouTube Thumbnail DesignS
Each week I get a list of thumbnail images to create. Sometimes these come with a little direction, but mostly it is left up to me to do what I think works the best. Balancing good design choices with trends on YouTube can be difficult because they are usually not the same thing.
SHOWS & VIDEO SERIES DESIGNS
I've also designed templates, logos and thumbnails for shows and video series. These need to feel like they fit with the look I've developed for the channel overall, but also feel distinct enough that viewers and subscribers can recognize the video is a part of a larger series.
LIVE STREAM TEMPLATES & OVERLAYS
SHOW TITLE CARD
STREAM OVERLAY & BACKGROUND
Live streams and after shows are a big part of the channel's content. For most of these designs I also have to come up with an image that is creative or funny while also matching the overall vibe of the channel and the 800k subscribers.
GAMING & LEGO STREAMS
Star Wars Explained also does a lot of gaming and LEGO live streams. Funny or "cursed" images of the hosts have become something viewers look forward to... somehow.
OVERLAYS FOR INTERVIEWS
Star Wars Explained interviews a lot of the people who make the movies, shows, games and books they cover. I make overlays themed to whatever subject they are discussing. The number of guests varies each time and I have to make sure it works with the format of the stream.
LOGO DESIGNS
I've designed several logos for Star Wars Explained over the years. Some of these are for shows or video series and others are for merchandise or marketing materials. Like most of my logo designs they are created in Adobe Illustrator using vector art.
PHOTOSHOP TEMPLATES FOR THUMBNAILS
Some thumbnails on the channel are made by other people, usually for show reviews and Patreon exclusive content. I create a layout and set up a PSD file for others to use to quickly generate the thumbnails. The goal is to make them easy to use but also not look like they were created from a template.
Funny and creative thumbnails
Creating funny thumbnails is my favorite part of this job. I don't get to do it all the time but once in a while I'll get a request that just says "Make something dumb". These thumbnails usually get a pretty good response. I just have to make sure to keep the jokes inline with the tone of the channel.