Mohammedi Mohammed, better known online as Mohjoker (#MJDesign) is a 27 year old thumbnail designer from Algeria. He learned Photoshop as a hobby, exploring manipulation and compositing, which led him to dive deeper into graphic design.
He worked for a while as a print-on-demand designer before fully focusing on thumbnails. His passion grew when he helped a friend with his channel and was encouraged to pursue it more seriously.
Now, he creates thumbnails for IRL content and podcasts while also learning YouTube management. Beyond thumbnails, MJ enjoys gaming, making posters, manipulating designs. MJ is available for hire.
Twitter (X) → x.com/MJ_Design24
Instagram → instagram.com/mj_design24
Featured design
I Tested the Cost of Living Off Gas Station Food
Brief
After receiving the brief from the client, I read it carefully and make sure I fully understand it.
Then I write bullet points summarizing what the client wants. In this example, client wants:
YouTube thumbnail for "I Ate Only Gas Station Food for 3 Days"
Red dirt, desert setting - remote, middle-of-nowhere aesthetic
Silver Mazda 3 visible in the shot
Client holding recognizable fried food (dagwood dog, donut, etc.)
Old, worn look to emphasize the challenge
Inspiration
After writing the bullet points and understanding the brief, I start looking for inspiration by searching on YouTube by title or topic, browsing Google and Pinterest for ideas, and sometimes watching other videos on the same subject to gather more creative direction.
Inspiration #1
Inspiration #2
Inspiration #3
Sketches
Now that I have several ideas, I start sketching rough concepts using pen and paper. I draw whatever comes to mind, shaped like a thumbnail, while keeping the bullet points in mind.
After making several sketches, I choose the best ones and either build from one or combine multiple ideas together. Sometimes I send the sketches to the client so they can choose the one they like most.
Winning sketch
Other sketches
Assets & Compositing
For assets, I use basic Google searches, free sites like Unsplash and Pexels, and AI sites. If I need something specific in a certain angle, I use 3D model websites like Sketchfab to capture the angle I need.
For body poses, I search for references—if I can't find one, I use MagicPose, Blender, or AI prompts using a stick figure as a guide. If none of these work and I feel I'm wasting time, I simply draw a rough sketch of the object, pose, or background I need, and then try generating it multiple times with different prompts.
Now that I have the sketch, the assets, and the idea, I place the assets on the canvas following the sketch. I remove anything that doesn't look good and try to keep the design simple, readable, and aligned with basic design rules.
Unlayered 😎
Blending and Color Correction
Next, I blend the assets together using standard techniques:
Light, saturation, and color adjustments
Check layers to unify tones
Making the design feel warm or cool depending on the theme
Shadows, dodge & burn, and similar corrections
With new Harmony Tools (or software like Nano Banana or Flux), some blending can be automated, but it's still important to know how to do it manually in case AI results look strange. If perspective still looks off, I take the thumbnail into Blender, import a 3D model, and match the perspective in 3D space.
After blending, I do color correction using adjustment layers and Camera Raw to make the design look natural or match the style I want. Then I move to color grading—if I have a specific look in mind, I apply it. If not, I use the colors already working in the design.
I open Camera Raw again and push the colors to make the design more appealing, applying color theory to choose a pleasant color palette based on recommended color harmony.
Upscale & Finalize
At this point, the thumbnail is finished. However, I may upscale it to improve quality using tools like Krea or Nordy, which offer multiple upscale versions to try.
After upscaling, some defects will appear. I place the upscaled version on top of the original design and mask out the defects, especially around the face and small details. Finally, I run one last Camera Raw pass to blend everything together.
Final upscale
Workstation
HP Probook 640 G3
What do you enjoy most about creating thumbnails?
What I enjoy the most about making thumbnails is the compositing part. It’s actually why I learned Photoshop in the first place — mixing different images and making everything look real. I also like trying new creative ideas whenever I can.
Right now, the thing I love the most is joining thumbnail challenges whenever I have time. They’re fun and they really help me get better.
Where do you usually get inspiration for your thumbnails?
My inspiration really changes depending on the situation. Most of the time, I start by checking thumbnails from videos that are similar to the one I’m working on. I also look around on Pinterest and Google Images to pick up new ideas.
Sometimes I’ll even watch similar videos all the way through, because sometimes the idea comes from the video itself. Watching the video helps me understand the vibe — like should the thumbnail be colorful, mysterious, simple, whatever — and it also helps me get a better feel for the target audience.
How much time do you invest in the process of making a single thumbnail?
How long a design takes really depends. If I have references and asstests, it’s usually faster since a lot of the research and idea-gathering is already done.
If I’m starting from scratch, I spend most of my time on the concept since that’s the base everything else is built on.
Usually, it depends on the deadline, but on average, a design takes me about a two or three days.
Best thumbnail you’ve ever made?
My favorite designs are the ones I made for Thumbnails 101 Weekly Challenges, because they lean more toward the creative side, and I had fun making them.
Best thumbnail you’ve ever seen?
There’s a lot, but the ones that come to mind are the designs that start trends because of their new concepts, or the ones that feel like abstract art or have creative perspective.
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