One of the biggest mistakes in thumbnail design is adding too many competing elements

The more things the viewer has to process, the more likely they are to scroll past.

These thumbnails work because they stay focused around 3 main elements max:

• A clear main subject

• A supporting element/context

• Short and easy to read text

You don’t need to show everything in the thumbnail. The goal is to simplify the idea down to 2–3 main elements max so the viewer can instantly process it and feel compelled enough to click