Glazed
Jun 27, 2025
Your thumbnail is an ad.
And if it’s not excellent, your “incredible” video might as well be on private—because no one’s clicking.
Back in the day, making one was… humiliating. Unless you were a top-tier designer with a PhD in MrBeast thumbnails, you were toast. Burnt. Unbuttered.
But we’re in the AI era now. And while these thumbnail generating platforms aren’t perfect, if you’ve got taste, patience, and just enough ego—congratulations, darling. You’re officially a halfway-decent thumbnail designer.
Of course, like all AI-generated creativity, your output is only as good as your inputs.
So I’ve done the work for you. I’ve curated 7 of my favorite high-taste, high-performing YouTube thumbnails you can recreate with AI today. Scroll-stopping, click-compelling, conversion-hungry frames.
Study them. Steal them. Make them yours.
Then let AI do the heavy lifting. 😉
P.S. Here are the best tools I’ve found to get your feet wet:
Pikzels – Personalized AI thumbnails
TestMyThumbnails – All-in-one thumbnail toolbox
Fliki – Free AI thumbnail maker
"i locked myself in a room until i made $1M"
Creator: Jamie Robbins
Why it works:
Cinematic lighting + bold blue/red contrast
Big text with punch: "Locked in." (lame but, it grabs you)
Emotional progression in a triptych frame (stressed → focused → success)
Universal aspirational Shopify notification signalling, "DOSH"
Notable details for AI prompt: moody red lighting, dark office, man at monitor, cinematic light flare, centered title overlay "Locked in." (but honestly, these AI generators are wack with text. Add text yourself in Canva).
Tip: Add text and Shopify notification in using Canva/Figma
"pov: you're a 26 year old online entrepreneur doing business in China"
Creator: Daniel Dalen
Why it works:
"POV" in huge white font = immediate hook
Smirking subject in business class = aspirational fantasy
Just looks cool
Notable details for AI prompt: candid POV shot, young man on plane, wide lens, ambient cabin light, clean bold text "POV"
"why do some things just look so good?"
Creator: Arteri
Why it works:
Minimalist design with product photography polish
Serif + sans-serif combo = high aesthetic IQ
Scroll-halting whitespace
Notable details for AI prompt: luxury sports car on white background, overhead shadow, modern type pairing, "science of aesthetics"
"how to quickly get out of a rut"
Creator: Better Ideas
Why it works:
Before & after transformation (clear value prop for viewer)
Cozy lighting + slumped figure = relatable
Subtle color grading, bright exposure grabs attention
Notable details for AI prompt: late night couch, young man on phone, overhead lamp light.
"How to Invest for Beginners"
Creator: Ali Abdaal
Why it works:
Big $0 to $1M contrast
$1M text makes the viewer ask, "how" (curiosity loop).
Simple visual metaphor (green arrow = growth, it's possible, you can do this)
Warm lighting, clean face, tidy background = trust
Notable details for AI prompt: man smiling at desk, glowing text $0 to $1M, green arrow, modern home office, bokeh
"for those waiting for life to happen"
Creator: Life of Riza
Why it works:
Warm, soft natural tones, slightly muted color grading, grain = trust
Central Subject Framing to direct attention
Eye contact + body language = emotional tension
Notable details for AI prompt: thoughtful woman in cozy room, soft natural light, vintage aesthetic, bookshelf background, shallow depth
"the ideas we lose by morning"
Creator: shotbywang
Why it works:
Mood lighting (orange + teal = banger cinematic combo)
Large, bright minimalist text on right third
Nostalgic, voyeuristic feeling
Notable details for AI prompt: young man on couch at night, phone glow, overhead lamp, teal-orange color grade, text: "midnight motivation"
Final Note
Your thumbnail isn’t a painting. It’s an ad. And these? These are the ads that slap.
Use them. Remix them. Or just whisper sweet nothings to Midjourney until it gives you something scroll-stopping.
Just remember: Great thumbnails don’t beg for attention. They demand it.