Badis is a 19 year old thumbnail artist from Tunisia. He started his thumbnail journey at the age of 16 with his own gaming channel. While creating videos, he realized that designing thumbnails was the part he enjoyed the most, even more than playing the games.
Throughout high school, he kept thumbnail design as both a side hustle and a hobby because he genuinely enjoyed it. For thumbnail design, he prefers a minimalistic approach and believes that more is not always better. He focuses on psychology and clarity rather than simply making something that looks good.
The niches he has worked with the most on YouTube are finance and documentary. Badis is available for hire.
YouTube → youtube.com/@BadisDesigns
Twitter (X) → x.com/BadisDesigns
Website → badisdesigns.com
Featured design
America's Most Savage CEO
Overview
Typically, when I work with a client, they send me the video title and a short brief, and then we hop on a call to discuss ideas. This time was different. The client was super chill and genuinely excited about creating something exceptional in the YouTube space. When I see that level of passion from a client, I get excited too. It stops feeling like normal business work and starts feeling like a real challenge. That kind of energy pushes you to create and to build something meaningful.
I am really into philosophy, and for me, one of the things that makes me feel human is creating something unique and new. Being creative is what truly fulfills me in life.
The video itself was a documentary about Dana White, the president of the UFC. A lot of effort went into the script, the editing, and the overall production. All it needed was the right thumbnail to put the cherry on top and make all that hard work pay off. So I immediately hopped on a call with the client to brainstorm ideas and think through the concept together.
Inspiration
During the call, the client shared how much he really enjoys UFC and even mentioned that he has a Dana White magazine from 2009, which had sold for a respectable amount on eBay back when I was basically two years old, haha.
When he showed me the magazine, something just clicked, and I got the idea to transform that magazine into a new piece of art. The idea probably came from the fact that I used to watch a lot of Benny Productions on YouTube, and he had often created film posters from existing magazines, book covers, or other materials.
Magazine cover scan
Starting assets
After getting that cover scanned from the client, that became my main asset. I’ve always believed that having too many assets isn’t necessarily better, so I kept it really simple. I just used a few textures I found online and some doodle PNGs.
Starting a whole thumbnail with just one JPG and a few textures might sound a bit intimidating, but that’s the essence of minimalism if you don’t need it, don’t add it.
Assets used
Editing Process
The editing process was actually pretty simple. Before starting, I remembered studying Hannah Höch and Romare Bearden in high school two artists known for their collage work. It’s one of the few times I got to use something I actually learned back then in high school lol.
The great thing about collage is that it lets you mix textures, images, and materials in ways that feel spontaneous and expressive. Most of the work is just being yourself and showing as much of your style as possible in that moment. Photoshop didn’t feel like software to me it felt more like a workshop for cutting and gluing while working on this thumbnail.
Hannah Höch and Romare Bearden collage work references
Unlayered
Workstation
The workstation is, unsurprisingly, pretty simple. I like minimalism and don’t do much decorating I prefer a clean setup so I can focus and really dive into thumbnails.
Yeah, that’s my boy Ramsis he’s the only one keeping me on track with my work haha.
Hardware
Laptop: Asus TUF Gaming F15
Mouse: Logitech Master 3S
Mousepad: White Shark MP-1967
Others: Ramsis, a small plant, and a notebook for quick sketches
Software
Photoshop
Pinterest
Brave
How do you convince a client that a minimalist, "less is more" approach will actually outperform a busy, over-saturated design?
That’s kind of revealing my secret sauce, but I always try to ask the client what their goal is when uploading the video. Most of the time, they say it is about getting views. I then explain that the goal of a thumbnail is to drive clicks and views, not just to look good. Even now with AI, you can easily make a good looking thumbnail, but that does not mean it will make people click. I also tell them that minimalism does not mean removing value, it means removing distractions. On top of that, I show them a lot of examples, since I am very familiar with YouTube thumbnails from the past few years.
How much of a thumbnail designer's success depends on matching the "passionate energy" of a client rather than just being good at the technical software?
Well, I have to admit that technical skills are definitely important. You cannot be a thumbnail designer without having strong knowledge of thumbnail design. However, what matters even more to me personally is having emotional alignment with your client, especially if you want to build a long-term partnership. It is similar to any relationship in life, whether with a girlfriend, family, or friends. Clients also need a certain level of alignment. You can usually test this from the very first project you work on together. That is why it is extremely important for designers to adapt quickly to different people and their energy.
Best thumbnail you've ever made?
Honestly, this thumbnail of Central Cee and Queen Elizabeth is one of my favorites. It holds a special place in my heart, and without it, I would not be where I am today.
Best thumbnail you've ever seen?
This thumbnail by Vsauce, if this thumbnail or packaging does not make you click, I honestly do not know what will. I truly believe this is one of the best thumbnail designs in the industry since the beginning of YouTube.
If you found this edition of Unlayered helpful, please consider sharing it with someone who might benefit from this workflow too! 💙
