Job title: Thumbnail Designer (YouTube) — Portfolio-Based, Pay Scales With Skill

Job type: [Contract / Part time ] · [Remote]

Pay: depending on skill

About the role

Michael Works is looking for a thumbnail designer who understands that a thumbnail is not a graphic — it's a decision the viewer makes in under a second.

We're not looking for someone who can add a glow, a red arrow, and a shocked face. We're looking for someone who can explain *why* one composition earns the click and a nearly identical one doesn't, and who brings ideas we haven't seen on the platform yet.

If you have opinions about contrast hierarchy, facial expression as narrative, negative space, and how a thumbnail reads at 120 pixels wide on a phone — we want to talk.

What you'll do
- Design thumbnails for various faceless niches.
- Develop 5 to 6 concept directions per video, not one secure option
- Build and refine a visual identity that stays recognisable while staying fresh
- Study competitor and outlier thumbnails in the niche and pull real insight from them




- Iterate based on CTR data — we'll share the numbers, and we expect you to care about them

What we're looking for
- A portfolio that shows range and intent, not just polish
- Genuine understanding of visual psychology: focal hierarchy, colour contrast, curiosity gaps, emotional read, text economy
- Strong command of Photoshop (or equivalent) — clean cutouts, compositing, lighting, colour grading
- Ability to design for mobile first, since that's where most of the audience is
- Reliability on deadlines and clear, low-friction communication
- Bonus: experience with A/B thumbnail testing, or a track record on channels you can point to

Compensation

We pay well for people we're impressed by. Rate is set after we see your work — strong portfolios get strong offers, and we'd rather pay one excellent designer properly than three cheap ones repeatedly.

How to apply

Send:
- Your portfolio — 5–10 thumbnails you're proud of
- One breakdown.

📌 Looking for a thumbnail artist for our YouTube Automation agency (India)
🏢 Micheal Works
📍 India