Thumbnail Design

Q: Why use Thumbnail Design on TypingMind?

Because you install it once and use it with any model. Thumbnail Design is plain Markdown rather than provider-specific code, so the same skill runs on GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model — and you can switch model mid-chat without it breaking. TypingMind runs on your own API keys, so you pay providers directly instead of a per-seat subscription, and your skills and chats stay in your own storage.

Q: How do I install Thumbnail Design in TypingMind?

Open Plugins → Skills → Install from GitHub in TypingMind and paste https://github.com/social-media-skills/skills/tree/main/skills/thumbnail-design. TypingMind reads its SKILL.md and bundles its files and installs it as a skill you can enable per chat.

Q: Which AI models can use Thumbnail Design?

Any model you connect in TypingMind. AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and local models can all load this skill when a request matches it.

Q: How many AI models can I use with Thumbnail Design?

As many as you like. As long as a model supports skills, you can use Thumbnail Design with it — GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama and more — all on TypingMind with your own API keys.

Q: Is the Thumbnail Design AI skill free?

Yes. It is published on GitHub by social-media-skills under the MIT license. You only pay your own AI provider for the tokens you use.

Q: What are AI skills?

An AI skill is a reusable instruction bundle that teaches an AI model how to do one specific task. It follows the open Agent Skills format: a SKILL.md file with a name and description, plus any scripts, templates or reference files the model may need. The model reads the instructions only when your request matches the skill, so an installed skill costs nothing until it is used.

Q: How are AI skills different from plugins or MCP servers?

A plugin or MCP server gives a model new tools to call — code that runs somewhere and returns a result. An AI skill gives the model knowledge and process instead: how to approach a task, which steps to follow, what good output looks like. Skills are plain Markdown, so they need no server, no API key and no runtime, and they work with any model.

Organization

social-media-skills

thumbnail-design

Design YouTube video thumbnails that earn the click — mobile-legible, one focal point, honest. Use when someone wants to design a YouTube thumbnail, improve CTR, brief a thumbnail, choose thumbnail text, or plan thumbnail A/B testing. Designs and briefs high-CTR thumbnails and writes the A/B test plan: a thumbnail is a promise, not a poster, designed as a unit with the title and legible on mobile. Uses the CLICK framework. Reads brand-profile + the video/title first. A HUMAN or an image/design tool (nano-banana/ideogram/Canva/designer) creates the final raster; the YouTube custom thumbnail is uploaded NATIVELY in Studio (WoopSocial has no thumbnail field) and Test & Compare is native; TikTok/IG-Reel covers use WoopSocial's cover field via those format skills. No clickbait, no unconsented real-person/deepfake faces, CTR never fabricated. Distinct from youtube-publishing-and-metadata (the metadata) and nano-banana/ideogram (which generate the raster this briefs).

Overview

Publisher	social-media-skills
Repository	`skills`
Skill name	`thumbnail-design`
Stars	215
Forks	44
Bundled files	5
License	MIT
Links	Skill source Repository Homepage

Markdown instructions
A SKILL.md file the model loads on demand, so it only costs tokens when a request actually matches.
Works with any LLM
AI skills are plain Markdown, not provider-specific code, so this works with GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model.
5 bundled files
Scripts, templates, and references the model can read while it works. Files are read-only and never executed.
Open source
Published by social-media-skills on GitHub. Read the source before you install it.

Installation

Install the Thumbnail Design AI skill in TypingMind to use it with any LLM, or drop it into another agent that reads SKILL.md.

Install in TypingMind

TypingMind installs a skill straight from its GitHub folder — it reads SKILL.md, bundles the resource files, and stores the result locally.

Open the app and go to Plugins → Skills.
Choose "Install from GitHub".
Paste the skill folder URL below and confirm.
https://github.com/social-media-skills/skills/tree/main/skills/thumbnail-design
Enable the skill in any chat where you want it available.

Plugins → Skills → Add skill → From GitHub URL, then paste the folder URL and press Continue.

Install in another agent

Any agent that reads the Agent Skills format can use this skill — copy the folder into that agent's skills directory.

Claude Code — .claude/skills

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/social-media-skills/skills.git /tmp/skills
mkdir -p .claude/skills
cp -r /tmp/skills/skills/thumbnail-design .claude/skills/thumbnail-design

Restart Claude Code after copying so it picks up the new skill.

Use it in TypingMind

Enable Thumbnail Design in any TypingMind chat and the model takes it from there. Its name and description sit in the system prompt, and the moment a request matches, the model loads the full instructions itself — you never invoke it by hand, and it costs no tokens until it is actually used.

The model loads Thumbnail Design on its own as soon as a request matches it.

Works with any AI model

AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so Thumbnail Design is not tied to the model it was written for. Install it once in TypingMind and use it with GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama, or a local model you run yourself — all on your own API keys.

Loaded only when it is needed
The system prompt carries just the name and description. The instructions are fetched on the first matching request, so an idle skill costs nothing.
Switch models mid-chat
Because the skill is instructions rather than code, changing model does not break it — the next model reads the same SKILL.md.

Skill instructions

This is the SKILL.md content the model loads. Read it before installing — a skill is instructions your model will follow.

thumbnail-design

A design-craft skill — write the promise, design the concept + text, produce the brief, and plan the A/B test. The agent designs + briefs + plans; a human or image tool makes the raster; the YouTube thumbnail is uploaded + tested natively (no WoopSocial field).

The POV: a promise, not a poster — designed as a unit with the title

A thumbnail drives ~70–80% of click decisions, and the viewer decides in under a second — so its job is the click that leads to a watch. Two rules anchor everything: the thumbnail + title are one unit (the thumbnail shows, the title tells — they never repeat), and it's a promise, not a poster. That second rule is enforced by the platform: YouTube's native A/B test picks the winner by watch-time share, not raw CTR, so a misleading high-click thumbnail loses to an honest one. Design for mobile first — most viewing is on a phone, where simplicity and contrast win.

Read these first

brand-profile — channel style/template (for consistency).
the video and its title (often from youtube-publishing-and-metadata/youtube-long-form/ youtube-shorts).

The framework: CLICK

(Depth: references/the-click-framework.md.)

C — Clarify the promise: one-sentence promise; thumbnail + title as a unit (show vs tell, never repeat); promise not poster.
L — Lead with one focal point: one/two hero elements, minimal background, parseable in <1s; one directional element.
I — Invoke genuine emotion: expressive genuine face + gaze if it adds context (skip it otherwise); match the expression to the content.
C — Contrast + concise text: complementary high contrast (avoid YouTube red/white, 60-30-10, B&W test, light+dark); 0–4 bold sans-serif words + outline, not a title duplicate; mobile-legible at ~168×94; safe zones; 1280×720, 16:9.
K — Keep testing: 3 meaningfully-different concepts, one variable; native Test & Compare picks by watch-time share (not Shorts, needs traffic); a human uploads + runs it; keep a log; brand-consistent template.

The reality (verify-quarterly)

Promise-not-poster + thumbnail+title-as-unit + watch-time A/B punishes clickbait; the three principles (simplicity/contrast/emotion); faces (+20–30%, genuine, gaze, unknown-face-can-hurt); contrast/color (complementary, avoid YT red/white, 60-30-10, B&W test); text (0–4 words, bold sans-serif, no title duplicate); mobile-first + safe zones + specs (1280×720; 50MB cap since early 2026); brand consistency; native Test & Compare (watch-time-share winner, also tests titles/combos, not Shorts, traffic-dependent): references/thumbnail-2026-reality.md. The promise template, design checklist, spec block, A/B plan + worked examples: references/design-and-test-recipes.md.

Honest scope (never violate)

The agent writes the promise/concept/text/brief and can critique a mockup — but a HUMAN or image tool (nano-banana/ideogram/Canva/a designer) creates the final raster.
The YouTube custom thumbnail is uploaded NATIVELY in Studio — WoopSocial has no thumbnail field — and Test & Compare is native (a human uploads + runs it). TikTok/IG-Reel covers are different: those use WoopSocial's cover field via tiktok-video-publishing/the IG skill.
No clickbait (the thumbnail must keep the promise — the watch-time test punishes deception); no unconsented real-person/deepfake faces; never fabricate a CTR (real testing/native analytics only). (Scope, distinctions + connections: references/scope-and-connections.md.)

Distinct from its siblings (route correctly)

thumbnail-design (this) = the thumbnail design craft + brief + A/B plan · youtube-publishing-and- metadata = the title/description/tags metadata (points HERE for the thumbnail) · nano-banana/ideogram = generate the raster this briefs · tiktok-video-publishing = the TikTok cover field · hook-writer/ caption-writer = text lines.

Where this connects

Reads first: brand-profile + the video/title (youtube-publishing-and-metadata/youtube-long- form/youtube-shorts). Pairs with: nano-banana/ideogram (render the brief), hook-writer (the thumbnail words), youtube-publishing-and-metadata (title as a unit with the thumbnail), experimentation (A/B discipline), competitor-analysis (preview against ranking thumbnails). Hands to: a human to render + upload the YouTube thumbnail natively + run Test & Compare; analytics-and-reporting reads CTR/watch-time back. The raster, native upload, and native A/B test stay outside WoopSocial.

Definition of done

A one-sentence promise written and the thumbnail designed as a unit with the title (show vs tell, no repetition); one focal point with minimal background; a genuine face + gaze where it adds context (or none); high contrast (complementary, not YouTube red/white, 60-30-10, passes the B&W test) legible in light and dark; 0–4 bold words with an outline that don't duplicate the title; mobile-legible at ~168×94 with safe zones and 1280×720 specs; an A/B plan of 3 meaningfully-different concepts changing one variable, scored natively by watch-time share; the raster left to an image tool/designer and the YouTube upload + test left to native Studio; no clickbait, no unconsented faces, no fabricated CTR; correctly distinguished from youtube-publishing-and-metadata and nano-banana/ideogram.

Bundled files

The model reads these on demand while the skill is loaded. They are exposed as readable files and are never executed.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Thumbnail Design AI skill do?

Why use Thumbnail Design on TypingMind?

Because you install it once and use it with any model. Thumbnail Design is plain Markdown rather than provider-specific code, so the same skill runs on GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model — and you can switch model mid-chat without it breaking. TypingMind runs on your own API keys, so you pay providers directly instead of a per-seat subscription, and your skills and chats stay in your own storage.

How do I install Thumbnail Design in TypingMind?

Open Plugins → Skills → Install from GitHub in TypingMind and paste https://github.com/social-media-skills/skills/tree/main/skills/thumbnail-design. TypingMind reads its SKILL.md and bundles its files and installs it as a skill you can enable per chat.

Which AI models can use Thumbnail Design?

Any model you connect in TypingMind. AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and local models can all load this skill when a request matches it.

How many AI models can I use with Thumbnail Design?

As many as you like. As long as a model supports skills, you can use Thumbnail Design with it — GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama and more — all on TypingMind with your own API keys.

Is the Thumbnail Design AI skill free?

Yes. It is published on GitHub by social-media-skills under the MIT license. You only pay your own AI provider for the tokens you use.

What are AI skills?

An AI skill is a reusable instruction bundle that teaches an AI model how to do one specific task. It follows the open Agent Skills format: a SKILL.md file with a name and description, plus any scripts, templates or reference files the model may need. The model reads the instructions only when your request matches the skill, so an installed skill costs nothing until it is used.

How are AI skills different from plugins or MCP servers?

A plugin or MCP server gives a model new tools to call — code that runs somewhere and returns a result. An AI skill gives the model knowledge and process instead: how to approach a task, which steps to follow, what good output looks like. Skills are plain Markdown, so they need no server, no API key and no runtime, and they work with any model.

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Overview

Installation

Install in TypingMind

Install in another agent

Use it in TypingMind

Works with any AI model

Skill instructions

thumbnail-design

The POV: a promise, not a poster — designed as a unit with the title

Read these first

The framework: CLICK

The reality (verify-quarterly)

Honest scope (never violate)

Distinct from its siblings (route correctly)

Where this connects

Definition of done

Bundled files

Frequently asked questions

Related AI Skills

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