Client: Cody Ko

Project Title: Cody Ko Thumbnail Designs

Project Type: Digital

Year: 2023

Objective: Create thumbnails and test various iterations using A/B Youtube algorithm testing

Design thumbnails for a popular Youtuber to generate more views and compare them to iterations by tracking performance

OVERVIEW

Cody Ko is a Canadian comedian, YouTuber, podcaster, and former software engineer. He initially gained popularity on the video platform Vine, where he generated a large following. After Vine's shutdown, he transitioned to YouTube, where he creates comedy videos combining humor with casual, entertaining conversations.

Guidelines:

These were the boundaries provided by the production team:

  • The thumbnail style we strive for can be defined as: beautiful, clear, simple, and persuasive.

  • The title and thumbnail should work together in unison to complement each other

  • Viewers should be able to download and understand the thumbnail instantaneously

A/B Testing Process: What is it?

A/B testing compares two+ versions of an image to identify the best performer. It’s a method that helps you make decisions based on real data rather than just guessing. It compares options and tests them to learn what viewers prefer.

Whenever a video is uploaded to YouTube, you’re able to see a video’s relative performance in relation to the last 10 uploads. 1/10 is the best. When a video falls into positions 1-4, it was categorized as an upper-decker. Anytime a video is in the 7-10 position, it warrants an evaluation of the packaging. From there, you can make improvements to the title or thumbnail to improve the click-through rate.

This is what that looks like:

Creative Approach

As a designer, I had to understand Cody’s audience and the overall brand of his YouTube persona. As a fan before this design challenge, I rewatched several of his videos to understand his tone and the messages that he wanted to convey throughout his videos.

Below are some examples of redesigned thumbnails that I created for A/B testing:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Implementation:

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Photoshop

Color Theory

Asset Organization

A slight hiccup:

During this project, I documented my experience with this challenge. However, also during this time period, AI-generated content started to become more popular. Ultimately, the production manager determined that AI-generated thumbnails were yielding better performance metrics using YouTube’s algorithm, which led to a shortened project.

Key Takeaways/Reflection

  1. I learned how important it is to understand who you’re designing for. Researching Cody’s audience gave me insight into their demographics and what types of videos performed best, which helped guide my thumbnail decisions.

  2. Tight deadlines taught me how to move fast while keeping the work consistent. My past experience managing multiple projects helped me produce several strong options quickly.

  3. The biggest challenge was competing with AI. Instead of seeing it as a setback, I used it as a chance to learn how AI affects engagement, and how I can use tools to provide results efficiently.

    • AI showed me how data drives performance.

    • I focused on what humans do best: emotion, personality, and connection.

    • I came away with a growth mindset and a better understanding of how to pair creativity with emerging technology.

Even though the project didn’t end the way I expected, it pushed me to grow and reinforced why I love creating work that genuinely connects with people.