Creator Science Podcast Episode #282

Guest: David Altizer
Title: How to Make Great Thumbnails (For Non-Designers)
Date: November 18, 2025
Host: Jay Clouse

Overview

This episode features a deep-dive conversation with David Altizer, an acclaimed YouTube thumbnail designer whose work has generated nearly 350 million views for high-profile creators. The episode explores the science and art behind effective thumbnail creation—especially for non-designers. Topics include thumbnail composition, aesthetics, the psychology of clicks, text usage, and the evolving role of AI in thumbnail design. David provides actionable advice, supported by concrete examples and memorable quotes, making this an essential guide for any creator seeking to stand out in the crowded digital landscape.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Importance of Composition in Thumbnails

• Rule of Thirds: David likens thumbnail composition to classic filmmaking and photography techniques, emphasizing the rule of thirds as a foundational principle for balanced, click-worthy design.
  • [00:00] “The rule of thirds is one of the most popular ways to judge good composition for filmmaking. Once you learn this rule, you'll see it all the time. It's a mystery that nobody knew they needed to know. That's the best formula for a click.” — David Altizer
• Movie Poster Analogy: He encourages creators to study movie posters and iconic film frames for inspiration due to their similar aspect ratios (16:9).
  • [01:04] “Look at some of the most popular and iconic movie posters... study that, look at great cinematography and composition within cinematography.” — David Altizer
• Balance & Intention: A good thumbnail feels intentional and professional, even if viewers can't articulate why.
  • [08:42] “It's hard for somebody who doesn't know these rules... They're not going to be able to point to why something feels right. But it's just about the... human nature of it.” — David Altizer

2. Lighting for Thumbnails

• Flat Lighting Preferred: David recommends flat, even lighting over dramatic shadows for clarity and ease in editing.
  • [02:39] “For thumbnails, you actually want a pretty flat lighting setup because you can add shadow in post production really, really easily. But it's super hard to kind of fix really harsh shadows or dark areas.” — David Altizer
• Intentional Photos: He urges creators to take dedicated thumbnail photos rather than relying on random video stills or selfies taken in poor lighting.
  • [03:16] “Taking intentional thumbnail photos for your video is crucial, in my opinion.” — David Altizer

3. Recognizable Thumbnail Styles

• Types and Trends: David breaks down various thumbnail styles:
  • Realism: Photographic, cinematic look.
  • Scrapbook: Overlapping elements, especially for creators like Curtis Connor.
  • Versus (A vs B): Duality or comparison.
  • Center Framing: Main subject in center, often used by Frame Voyager.
  • Podcast Format: Repeatable layouts for podcast channels.
  • Screenshot/Raw: Minimal editing, used in niches like finance.
  • Reaction: Creator’s reaction in the foreground with content in the back.
• [15:24] “You've got the verses... the center framing format... the podcast format... the Mr. Beast format... the screenshot format... gear reviews... the reaction style.” — David Altizer

4. Cognitive Load and Simplicity

• Fewer Elements: David advises minimalism—ideally no more than three main visual components.
  • [20:49] “You essentially want to just lower the cognitive load that people have to apply to understand your thumbnail.” — David Altizer
• Cohesion of Objects: Even when multiple items are present (e.g., piles of products), they should be grouped as a single visual story.
• Remove Distractions: Logos, microphones (except for podcasts), and background clutter should be edited out whenever possible.
  • [23:41] “Get rid of those things... Especially if there’s a giant logo on it.” — David Altizer

5. Best Practices for Text

• Minimal, Simple Language: Use as few words as possible at a low reading level.
  • [25:06] “You want to try your best to make it a third grade reading level... it's not that your viewers aren't smart enough, it's just the cognitive load of it.” — David Altizer
• Short, Impactful Phrases: Examples: “I can make anything viral”, “Your videos are boring.”
  • [25:52] “You've boiled it down to the least amount of words as possible and then it's also a very simple way to convey it.” — David Altizer

6. Thumbnail Psychology & Getting the Click

• Contradiction & Mystery: The best clicks happen when a thumbnail poses an unanswered question or creates a gap in the viewer’s knowledge.
  • [00:15], [26:46] “It's a mystery that nobody knew they needed to know. That's the best formula for a click.” — David Altizer
  • [31:18] “You want the person to feel uncomfortable not having full information.” — Jay Clouse
  • [31:26] “Yes.” — David Altizer
• Examples: “Is Gatorade green or yellow?” is a compelling hook with immediate, relatable intrigue.
  • [28:32] Jay and David discuss the color ambiguity of a Gatorade bottle, enhanced by clever use of color highlights in the text.
• Save the Viewer Time: Convey that your video offers rapid value or hard-won experience.
  • [33:05] “Three years of professional thumbnail design in 10 minutes.” — David Altizer

7. Workflow with Clients: From Concept to Asset Gathering

• Starts with the Idea: David prioritizes the video’s core idea and the opening 6–10 seconds when conceptualizing a thumbnail.
• Asset Creation: He often requests new, well-lit photos from clients, favoring high-quality images over video stills.
  • [41:50] The example with Curtis Connor’s “vintage tech” video highlights the importance of aligning the first trailer with the thumbnail’s promise.

8. The Evolving Role of AI in Thumbnails

• AI in the Present & Future: David predicts that AI will increasingly automate thumbnail creation but won’t replace the need for strong ideas and human understanding of psychology.
  • [00:42], [44:15], [47:02] “The reality is, I think in the next five years, maybe even less, a lot of this work can be done with AI... But you still need to be able to push and pull those levers to understand what gets the click.” — David Altizer
• Advice: Embrace AI as a workflow accelerator, not a replacement for creative insight.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Foundational Rule:
  [00:00] “The rule of thirds is one of the most popular ways to judge good composition for filmmaking... That's the best formula for a click.” — David Altizer

• Intentional Design Matters:
  [08:42] “If it looks off, it feels a little amateur and... It doesn't feel intentional. It feels very thrown together and will convey maybe a sense of unprofessionalism.” — David Altizer

• Human Nature and Beauty:
  [13:58] “We are, as humans, we're wired to appreciate art, and we understand beauty like it's an inherent thing that we just kind of see and understand.” — David Altizer

• On Thumbnail Text:
  [25:06] “You want to try your best to make it a third-grade reading level...you just want to lower that cognitive load.” — David Altizer

• The Core Psychological Trigger:
  [31:18] “You want the person to feel uncomfortable not having full information.” — Jay Clouse

• Clickbait Done Right:
  [19:39] “Clickbait is okay. Misleading is not... as long as you're not misleading the viewer, you can clickbait them.” — David Altizer

• AI and The Future:
  [47:02] “In the next five years, maybe even less, a lot of this work can be done with AI... but you still need to understand what gets the click. The psychology behind these contrasting ideas—those are the elements that make it human.” — David Altizer

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Time | Segment | |----------|-------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00–04:00 | Rule of thirds & composition basics | | 04:23–08:21 | Balancing composition, real-world examples | | 13:58–15:24 | The role of human psychology and art | | 15:24–19:39 | Thumbnail style “buckets,” reaction, and clickbait ethics | | 20:49–25:06 | Simplicity, cognitive load, and minimizing elements & text | | 26:36–31:33 | Thumbnail psychology and user motivation to click | | 33:05–36:00 | Developing ideas, client workflows, and the importance of assets | | 41:50–44:04 | Client asset requests & solving real-world lighting challenges| | 44:15–47:02 | Predictions: trends moving toward realism, rise of AI | | 47:02–49:08 | AI's limits and future workflow integration |

Practical Takeaways for Non-Designers

• Study and apply the rule of thirds for instant improvement in your thumbnails.
• Prioritize even, flat lighting and take dedicated thumbnail photos—don’t rely on screenshots.
• Group visual elements into intentional “buckets”; keep it to three main components.
• Use minimal, simple text to reduce viewer cognitive load—aim for a third-grade reading level.
• Create intrigue or pose questions in your thumbnails to trigger clicks.
• Remove all unnecessary background distractions or brand logos unless they directly aid clarity.
• Embrace AI as a tool but focus on sharpening your creative ideas and understanding of human psychology.
• Align your thumbnail’s promise with what actually appears in your video, ideally up front.

Further Learning

• [49:08] Jay recommends a video featuring YouTube legends on thumbnail psychology: “Watch this video where I learn from YouTube legends Patty Galloway, Ed Lawrence, Jamie Rosthorne and John Ushai.”

This summary distills all essential advice, frameworks, and examples from the episode, providing a practical roadmap for creators who want to level up their thumbnail game—even without design expertise.