How We Make Clicky Thumbnails Using Ai and Psychology.

Summary

In this video, a YouTuber shares their journey of improving thumbnail design over 4 years, highlighting the use of AI and psychology since 2023. The video explains key thumbnail design principles, such as the Rule of Thirds and Symmetrical Rule, and demonstrates practical steps for creating engaging thumbnails using tools like Canva and Lightroom. Emphasizing the importance of imagination, color focus, and minimal text, the creator offers detailed tips and examples to enhance visual appeal and viewer engagement.

Takeaways

• 🎨 Thumbnail evolution: The creator has been making YouTube thumbnails for 4 years, showing significant improvement over time.
• 🛠️ Consistent tools: Only one main tool has been used for thumbnails, with AI being added since 2023.
• 🧠 Psychological approach: Both AI and psychology play roles in the evolution of thumbnails.
• 🔍 Key experiments: Five types of experiments were conducted to find the most effective thumbnail strategies based on psychology.
• 📏 Rules of composition: Two main rules are followed—Rule of Thirds and Symmetrical Rule. The Rule of Thirds focuses on placing key elements at grid intersections, while the Symmetrical Rule emphasizes balanced layouts.
• 👀 Viewer behavior: Thumbnails are designed to capture attention by placing important elements on the left side, as people tend to look from left to right.
• 📝 Text simplicity: Thumbnails should have minimal text, ideally 2-3 words, to quickly convey the message.
• 🌈 Color focus: High contrast and saturated colors are used to make thumbnails stand out, with specific colors preferred for their ability to pop.
• 🖼️ AI and customization: AI-generated images are customized further using tools like Discord’s inside face bot and Canva for personalization.
• 📸 Final adjustments: Thumbnails undergo final color grading and enhancements using tools like Lightroom to ensure high quality and visual appeal.

Q & A

What are the two main rules used in creating effective thumbnails, as mentioned in the script?

The two main rules are the Rule of Thirds and the Symmetrical Rule.

What does the Rule of Thirds state?

The Rule of Thirds states that the position of your image should be where the grid lines intersect, as the human eye sees these points first. Your main subject should be placed on these intersection points.

Why is the left side of a thumbnail considered important according to the script?

The left side is important because most people look at it first due to the way they read and write (left to right). It represents the viewer's perspective and can grab their attention immediately.

What role does psychology play in thumbnail creation according to the script?

Psychology helps in understanding how viewers perceive thumbnails. By following psychological principles, like the Rule of Thirds and the importance of the left side, creators can design thumbnails that are more likely to attract viewers' attention.

What is the significance of colors in thumbnails?

Colors are crucial for making thumbnails stand out. Bright, contrasting colors attract more attention, while colors like black or gray are less likely to pop up. The right choice of colors can make a thumbnail more eye-catching.

What experiment does the creator mention having done with thumbnails in the past year?

The creator mentions having done five types of experiments on thumbnails to determine which approach works best according to psychology.

What is the importance of text in thumbnails?

Text in thumbnails should be minimal, ideally two to three words, to convey the message quickly and clearly. The choice of words is more important than the amount of text.

How does AI contribute to the creation of thumbnails?

AI helps in generating realistic and engaging images for thumbnails. The creator uses AI to imagine and create the initial images, which are then customized further.

What is the role of Lightroom in the thumbnail creation process?

Lightroom is used for color grading and enhancing the thumbnail's visual appeal. Adjustments to exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, vibrance, saturation, and other effects are made to make the thumbnail more attractive.

Why should creators use presets in Lightroom?

Using presets in Lightroom helps save time and ensures consistency in color grading across different thumbnails. Presets store preferred settings, making it easier to apply the same adjustments to new thumbnails.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Evolution of YouTube Thumbnails and AI Integration

The speaker reflects on their four-year journey of creating YouTube thumbnails, highlighting the evolution from their first to their 100th video, and the current trend of using AI since 2023. They emphasize the importance of understanding thumbnail psychology and viewer psychology, and introduce two key rules used by 99% of creators: the Rule of Thirds and the Symmetrical Rule. The Rule of Thirds is explained as a cinematography technique that draws the viewer's eye to the intersection points of a grid, while the Symmetrical Rule is associated with balanced and filled-out thumbnails. The speaker also discusses the significance of the left and right sides of thumbnails, relating them to the viewer's and creator's perspectives, respectively.

05:03

📝 Crafting Thumbnails with Psychological Insights and AI

This paragraph delves into the process of creating thumbnails with a focus on psychological principles and the use of AI. The speaker discusses the importance of using impactful words, such as 'jobpreneur', and the concept of legal clickbait, which involves justifying sensational claims within the video content. They also touch upon color focusing, explaining how certain colors stand out more in thumbnails due to their saturation and contrast. The speaker provides examples of how to use AI to generate images and then customize them using tools like Canva and Lightroom, detailing the steps to enhance the image quality, apply color grading, and create a compelling final thumbnail.

10:06

🌟 Finalizing Thumbnails with Color Grading and Customization

The final paragraph outlines the process of fine-tuning thumbnails using Adobe's Lightroom app, focusing on color grading to make the thumbnails more attractive. The speaker shares specific settings for exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, vibrance, saturation, and effects like vignetting, clarity, and texture. They explain the rationale behind these settings and how they contribute to the overall appeal of the thumbnail. The paragraph concludes with advice on saving these settings as presets for future use, streamlining the thumbnail creation process.

Keywords

💡Thumbnails

Thumbnails are small, representative images used on video platforms like YouTube to attract viewers' attention and encourage them to click and watch the video. In the video script, the creator discusses the evolution of their thumbnails over the years, emphasizing the importance of thumbnails in capturing viewer interest and the role of psychology and AI in improving them.

💡AI (Artificial Intelligence)

AI refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions. In the context of the video, AI has been integrated into the process of creating thumbnails since 2023, enhancing the thumbnails' appeal and effectiveness in attracting viewers.

💡Psychology

Psychology is the scientific study of the human mind and its functions, particularly those affecting behavior in a given context. The script mentions that psychology plays a significant role in thumbnail design, influencing how viewers perceive and interact with the images, and how creators can use this knowledge to improve their thumbnails.

💡Cinematography

Cinematography is the art of making motion pictures, including the aspects of lighting and composition. It is mentioned in the script as a parallel to thumbnail creation, where rules like the 'Rule of Thirds' are used to create visually appealing and balanced images that are also used in filmmaking.

💡Rule of Thirds

The 'Rule of Thirds' is a fundamental principle in visual arts, including cinematography and photography, which suggests an image should be imagined as divided into nine equal parts by two equally spaced horizontal lines and two equally spaced vertical lines, with important compositional elements placed along these lines or their intersections. The script explains that this rule is applied in thumbnail creation to draw the viewer's eye to the focal point.

💡Symmetrical Rule

The 'Symmetrical Rule' is a design principle that involves arranging elements in a way that is balanced and mirrored, creating a sense of harmony and stability. The script discusses how this rule is used in thumbnail design, with only a small percentage of creators utilizing it, to make thumbnails that are aesthetically pleasing and capture the viewer's attention.

💡Layout

Layout refers to the arrangement or presentation of elements in a design, such as a thumbnail. The script categorizes the 'Symmetrical Rule' under layout, indicating that the arrangement of elements in a thumbnail can significantly impact its effectiveness in attracting viewers.

💡Color Focusing

Color focusing is the strategic use of color in a design to draw attention and evoke certain emotions or reactions. The script mentions that the choice of colors in thumbnails can influence whether a viewer clicks on the video, with certain colors being more effective in post-production and standing out more in a thumbnail.

💡Imagination

Imagination is the ability to form images, ideas, or concepts of external objects not present to the senses. In the context of the video, imagination is the first step in creating a thumbnail, where the creator must envision a compelling image that will attract viewers, taking into account the psychological principles discussed.

💡Lightroom

Lightroom is a photo editing software developed by Adobe for iOS and Android that allows users to adjust various aspects of an image, such as exposure, contrast, and color. The script describes using Lightroom to color grade thumbnails, enhancing their visual appeal and making them more enticing to potential viewers.

💡Preset

A preset in photo editing is a set of predefined adjustments that can be applied to an image to achieve a specific look or style. The script mentions creating and saving presets in Lightroom to streamline the thumbnail editing process, allowing creators to apply consistent settings across multiple thumbnails without having to manually adjust each one.

Highlights

The speaker has been making YouTube thumbnails for 4 years and has observed the evolution of their thumbnails from their first to their 100th video.

AI has been a significant addition to the thumbnail creation process since 2023, but psychology also plays a crucial role.

The speaker's channel conducted 5 types of experiments on thumbnails last year, exploring the best practices according to psychology.

Imagination is the first step in thumbnail creation, but it requires understanding the psychology of thumbnails and viewers.

99% of YouTube creators use only two rules for thumbnail creation: the Rule of Thirds and the Symmetrical Rule.

The Rule of Thirds suggests placing the main subject at the intersection of grid lines to attract the viewer's attention first.

The Symmetrical Rule involves making thumbnails where both sides are equal and filled out, used by only 9% of creators.

People tend to start from the left side when reading or writing, which influences the importance of the left side in thumbnails.

The left side of a thumbnail represents the viewer's perspective, while the right side represents the creator's perspective.

Thumbnail text should be concise, with a maximum of two to three words, to effectively convey the story or message.

The choice of words in a thumbnail is crucial for summarizing the video content and attracting viewers.

Color focusing is a psychological funda that affects whether a viewer will click on a thumbnail based on its saturation and contrast.

Bright and saturated colors are more likely to stand out in thumbnails compared to darker colors like black.

The speaker provides a step-by-step guide on how to use AI to generate thumbnail images and customize them.

Using a bot named 'inside face bot' on Discord can help match a person's face with an AI-generated image for thumbnails.

Canva and Lightroom are tools recommended for editing and color grading thumbnails to enhance their visual appeal.

The speaker shares specific settings for color grading in Lightroom, including exposure, contrast, and vibrance adjustments.

Creating presets in Lightroom allows for quick and consistent application of color grading settings to new thumbnails.

The video concludes with an invitation to learn about creating AI influencers and unique content in the speaker's next video.

Transcripts

I have been making thumbnails on YouTube for 4 years

and you will believe that

this is the thumbnail of my first video,

this is the thumbnail of my 100th video

and these are nowadays thumbnails that you see and like.

But I still believe that there is a lot of scope for improvement in this,

but you like it and I get to hear some such comments.

Anyway, let me tell you something interesting,

from this thumbnail to this thumbnail,

only one tool has been used,

only one thing has been added to it since 2023, that is AI.

But not only AI has worked in the journey from here to here,

but psychology has also worked.

You came to know that we did 5 types of experiments on our channel

in the last year on thumbnails.

Which of all the experiments was the best

according to psychology

and how can we make this AI thumbnail, we are going to know that.

So the first step that we do in making a thumbnail is imagination.

But to imagine, you will have to understand the psychology of thumbnails first

and then you will have to follow the psychology of the viewer.

You will be surprised to know that

99% of the creators on YouTube use only two rules to make their thumbnails.

And these same two rules are also used in filmmaking

to give peace to the eyes, which we also call cinematography.

There are following names of these two rules.

Rules of the third.

And Symmetrical Rule.

By the way, this symmetrical one is kept in the category of layout.

I made a rule.

The rule of the third says that

the position of your image,

where the grid lines intersect, the human eye sees it first.

So your main subject on which you want to focus

should be on the line of intersection.

Such a thumb rule is considered.

Whether you see it in filmmaking

or on the billboard of companies, this rule is also used there.

Even this pattern is seen in the thumbnails of almost every big creator.

The second rule says that make your thumbnails symmetrical.

That is, both the sides are equal and filled out.

Like this, this or this.

And only 9% of the creators use this layout.

You will think why this happens.

91% Vs 9%?

There is a reason for that.

Look, most people go from left to right.

That is, when they write, they write from left to right.

And they have been doing this since childhood.

So our first meditation goes to the left side.

You read from the left side.

You speak and write from the left side.

So it also seems logical that you first look at the left side.

Then you start reading or writing or speaking further.

The profile pictures of YouTube channels, Facebook channels or social media

also start from the left.

Now, for example, this is the thumbnail of our last video.

The rule of thirds has been used in it.

And the main subject is on the intersection point of the left side without the face.

So when people see it first, they will stop their scroll for a second.

Because an unusual thing has come into their feed.

They will see that there is no eye, no mouth, no ears.

But there is a cross. Why is it made?

They will know on the right side.

So they will get to see a detail.

Now to summarize that detail, they will see their title.

And it is written in the title that faceless channel ideas

that can earn more than others.

So from there this story is completed.

So that's why the left side is considered very important.

If you are shown comparison thumbnails, then they are shown from left to right.

I became like this.

I became like this.

So we can say that the left side is the viewer's perspective.

Whereas the right side is the creator's perspective.

In simple terms, the left side represents the viewer and the right side the creators.

Now on this basis, your expressions, emotions, and the story that you want to tell

will come to the left side.

Whereas what the creator is thinking, what to show to the creator,

what are his emotions,

and what will motivate you the most to click on this video,

he will show on the right side.

Yes, you can change the left and right according to you.

I have just told you according to psychology which is best.

What you write in the thumbnail is not important.

But which word you write is important.

Generally, I will not give much knowledge in this. I like to keep things simple.

I will tell you simply.

Keep two to three words.

And I have said this as the maximum limit.

You can go above this.

But when you have good fan following or your subscribers understand your content,

then you can use more words.

But do not write more than two to three words.

Even I will say that even if you write no, then also videos are running.

Just your thumbnail is completing that story.

For example, this is the thumbnail of our last video.

We have not used text in this.

A story has been tried to make where a savage person

Can contact to top 1%

And we have tried to show his contact details in the format of WhatsApp message.

So that people will automatically understand

that this person has contacted them.

And by looking at the title below, he will sync it in his mind and click.

The choice of words is important.

For example, we have used the word jobpreneur.

So write the title first.

Imagine according to that title.

We have written in the thumbnail here earning 10 lakhs per month.

But before that, we have made the title, a realistic AI influencer

and converted it into a business.

So according to that, this text of the thumbnail is justifying it.

Okay, he made an AI influencer, converted it into a business and earned 10 lakhs.

Viewer's mind thinks this.

And let me tell you that this is the legal clickbaiting part.

Whatever we have said here, we have told in the video.

Yes, I have not earned 10 lakhs.

But we have justified our title and told,

how it is made and how it is converted into a business.

10 lakhs was earned by someone else.

Not that you sell mangoes and catch bananas.

Fourth psychological funda is color focusing.

How much contrasty or saturated you keep your images

depends on whether the viewer will click or not.

Now you must have seen that in all the challenges videos or reaction videos,

the main color is these 4 or 5 colors.

Because when we take these colors in post-production, they come up more.

Whereas if we take black,

then no matter how much you make it contrast or saturated, it is black or gray.

It will not be able to pop up so much.

But these colors can be popped up in post-production.

Your thumbnail looks different in 10 thumbnails.

Just like PK puts on a yellow helmet.

Let's move towards our second step first.

Let's put our imagination in the prompt.

If I need AI in it. Then.

Suppose I am making a video

whose title is I am shaving my beard after 80 months to see family reaction.

So what can we think of its interesting imagination?

Either we make a split image.

Photo with beard and photo without beard.

And blur it so that curiosity is generated.

And put the family in the middle.

So that we get their reactions too.

This is an example of symmetrical layout.

Now the second way is that we make a man

who is shaving and we get to see the reaction of the family behind.

I will give you the prompt in the description.

And I will paste it here.

You can pause and see.

But the first line will always be the same.

Like make a cinematic, realistic portrait image of a.

Now you can decide your own after this.

And at the end take 4, aspect ratio 16 to 9.

Because this is the aspect ratio of thumbnails.

Now it generated some such images for me.

Let's take this as an example.

Now I have to put my face in this face.

So that people know that I am this video.

Now I will go directly to the discord.

And I will install a bot named inside face bot.

And I have given the video of its complete process in the i button and description.

Now first of all I will slash.

And click on save id.

Any photo of yours will work. But it should be of good quality.

Go to save id and save your name.

Now your image is saved.

Now we will slash again.

This time we will click on the swap id.

Now here we will upload the AI generated image.

And below the name which we have saved in our photo.

And we will put it.

And we will press enter.

Now this is matching with my face.

Now we will go to canva.

And we will upload this image.

So the image which we have downloaded.

Its quality will be degraded.

So we will upgrade it.

Go to effects panel.

Go to apps panel.

Now we will download the image upscaler.

If it is not there.

After downloading it. We will click on it.

How much upscale we have to do.

Its option will be visible. 2x, 3x, 4x, 8x.

Let's take this much.

Now our image is upscaled.

In a very high quality.

You can add different effects in it.

That is, you can remove the background.

Or you can add your frames.

But now we are making our AI generated image. This one.

Now we will put some text in it.

To make it a little better.

We will add gradients in it.

See this is the first thumbnail.

Which is made with the help of AI.

We have only put text on it later.

We have done all this with AI.

But we have to make our personal customized thumbnail. Something like this.

So remove the background from it.

And as you want the background at the back.

You can apply it like this.

Without AI generated. The thumbnail is also made.

Download your thumbnail in the highest settings.

Now we will go to our next step.

That is Lightroom.

This is an Adobe app. It works in iOS, Android.

So download it.

Select the image you want to color grade.

Now you will get to see some such panel.

You will get to see the light option. Click on it.

Set up the exposure according to you.

I use 0.44 here mostly.

And in contrast I keep it at plus 15.

Highlights at plus 2.

And shadows at minus 8.

Now it also depends on your thumbnail.

That you have used dark colors.

Or used those colors.

Which can pop up.

Now come to the color tab.

And set the vibrance at plus 33.

Or you can keep it between 28 to 35.

That looks good.

And saturation too.

You can keep it between 5 to 11 to 12. According to you.

I keep it at 10 here.

Then we will come to the effects option.

Click on the Vignette option.

Go to the Vignette option.

Go to it. And set the color to minus 48.

This also depends on you.

That how many shadows you want to bring on the corner.

I like to bring. That's why I have kept it.

This goes to the center of the person.

If I am making a symmetrical image.

Now go to the effects option.

I have always kept the clarity at plus 32.

But you can vary between 28 to 38.

You can keep the texture between 5 to 15.

But I keep it at 8.

Now we will go to the detail option.

And I set the color noise at 8 here.

You can keep it between 5 to 15.

Now after this, you do not forget these settings. So do convert it to preset.

So that you do not have to adjust it again and again.

So whenever you make a new thumbnail.

You just have to click on this option.

And you will get your presets there.

Click on the share option.

Click on the save copy to device.

So this was our whole process. How do we make thumbnails.

But there is something interesting for you. Left video.

In which we have taught to make an AI influencer.

And on the right side.

How can we make unique content. And what are its hacks.

You should definitely know.

I will meet you in the next video. Till then.

Be busy.