Recently, I’ve been going through a phase where I had no active editing projects to work on. Instead of staying idle, I chose to make this time meaningful by exploring new opportunities online—and that’s when I came across a YouTube Thumbnail Design Competition focused on community learning and creativity.
At first, I had no clear idea about how to start. But instead of giving up, I took it as a chance to learn. I began by studying the YouTube channel hosting the competition, watching more than 10 videos to understand their content style, visual language, and audience engagement. After spending some time analyzing, I selected two specific videos for which I would create thumbnails.
I approached the process one step at a time:
- On the first day, I dedicated 2–3 hours to creating the first thumbnail from scratch.
- I then took a short break the next day, using that time to revise and reflect on what I had learned.
- After the break, I repeated the same approach for the second thumbnail—studying again, and then creating.
This whole process wasn't just about designing thumbnails. It turned into a revision journey for me. I revisited design concepts, brushed up on composition techniques, and—most importantly—reconnected with photo editing, something I had stepped away from over the past year while focusing more on video editing.
Taking part in this competition rekindled my love for design, and reminded me of how powerful learning-by-doing can be. I’ve also shared a before and after comparison of the thumbnails in the competition post, which shows the transformation and how much I improved through this exercise.
➡️ You can check it out here: Competition Post with Before/After Thumbnail
This is just the beginning. I'm excited to keep exploring, learning, and growing—one challenge at a time.
