50 worship songs with 4 chords
Watch video- Click-through rate
- 5.5%
- Impressions
- 4.4M
- Views
- 381.8K
YOUTUBE PACKAGING
The click starts
before the design.
I’m Thiago Macallen, a Brazilian thumbnail designer with 7 years of experience. Today, I develop thumbnails, titles, and creative direction for YouTube videos.
My approach, Immediate Visual Clarity, starts with the video’s central tension and turns it into one dominant visual idea. The title adds a clear promise and a reason to click.
Explore my client work, my experience as a creator, and the thinking behind my current method.
Real client results
One of my main clients in Brazil.
I designed thumbnails for Gabriel Rodrigues, a Brazilian guitar and worship music creator, during a 13-month partnership. This collaboration took place before I developed my current Immediate Visual Clarity method. The 23 videos featuring my thumbnails accumulated over 4 million views. Here are three examples from that work.
Gabriel Rodrigues
Brazil · 289K subscribers · Guitar lessons & worship music
- Partnership
- 13 months
- Videos with my thumbnails
- 23
- Total views across those videos
- 4M+
Explore 3 selected videosThumbnails, views, and YouTube Analytics screenshots
Holy Spirit with 2 chords
Watch video- Click-through rate
- 10.2%
- Impressions
- 2.4M
- Views
- 348.3K
15 worship songs with 2 chords
Watch video- Click-through rate
- 6.8%
- Impressions
- 10.5M
- Views
- 993.3K
Selected results from the supplied YouTube Analytics screenshots. This collaboration predates my current Immediate Visual Clarity method.
Long-term international collaboration
My main international client.
I worked with Joost Nusselder, a digital entrepreneur from the Netherlands, for 1 year and 8 months, creating hundreds of thumbnails across multiple YouTube channels focused on product reviews and affiliate content.
The work followed a fixed thumbnail template. I received assignments through Trello, watched each video, and selected the strongest available frames for the final composition.
During production, I did not have access to the video titles. The videos in the shared Google Drive folders were the only source material available to me.
The source footage often had limited image quality and a narrow selection of usable frames. My role required careful frame selection and compositing to keep the featured product recognizable and the visual message clear within the required layout.
Videos on the channel featured below typically received around 1,000–60,000 views each when it had approximately 3,000–4,000 subscribers.
The team did not provide me with CTR or impression data for any of the published videos.
Joost Nusselder
Digital entrepreneur
Netherlands
Multiple channels · Product reviews · Affiliate content
Selected videos and thumbnails
Six selected videos featuring thumbnails I created for Joost Nusselder’s team. The team was responsible for the video titles.
Explore 6 selected videosThumbnails, view counts, and original video links
Client feedback
17 five-star reviews.
Six selected reviews from the 17 five-star ratings I received before developing my current Immediate Visual Clarity method. Most of my reviews are on Workana, a Latin American freelancing platform. Reviews originally written in Portuguese are translated into English below.
★★★★★
"Thiago was very professional. His work was excellent, and everything he delivered was of outstanding quality…"
★★★★★
"Thiago is a great professional. He knows how to bring the ideas I requested into the project with great professionalism."
★★★★★
"Thiago is a great professional: qualified, skilled, and delivers what I ask for. He is also polite and attentive."
★★★★★
"Very attentive and patient. He did the job very well!"
★★★★★
"I highly recommend him. He is a professional artist and implemented the requested changes very well."
★★★★★
"Excellent professional!"
My own YouTube channel
Creator experience. Every step, handled by me.
I run Faramis, formerly known as GBirkin: a gaming channel focused mainly on Resident Evil. I also made videos about other games; those uploads have since been removed.
All results from my own channel shown on this page were achieved while the channel had between 300 and 600 subscribers. The channel screenshot below shows a later subscriber count.
From the first research to the performance review.
I researched each topic, wrote the scripts, handled video SEO, created every title and thumbnail, and analyzed performance in YouTube Analytics—all on my own. That gave me firsthand experience with the decisions and responsibilities creators manage throughout the publishing process.
- Research
- Scriptwriting
- Video SEO
- Titles
- Thumbnail design
- YouTube Analytics
Earlier work · Before Immediate Visual Clarity
Five videos. Historical performance.
These five videos were originally published around 2022, approximately four years before this update. At the time, I built titles around the main search keyword and added a simple curiosity hook. Thumbnails followed a consistent channel identity, without a structured focus on varying the click angle, expressing the video’s central tension, or making the title and thumbnail complement each other.
This work predates my current Immediate Visual Clarity method. It documents my earlier experience creating content and working with real audience data.
One example: the Eveline video reached 20.3K views and brought in 433 new subscribers while it was public.
Explore all 5 historical videosThumbnails, translated titles, and performance figures
Eveline
Video title · English translation
She Was One of Resident Evil’s Many Victims of Bioterrorism
Thumbnail text · English translationThe Tragic Story of Eveline
- Impressions
- 290,000
- CTR
- 7%
- Views
- 20,300
This video brought in 433 new subscribers while it was public.
Watch video
Welcome to Raccoon City
Video title · English translation
A Rushed Story, Half-Hearted Acting, Poor Characterization…
Thumbnail text · English translationThe Worst Resident Evil Movie
- Impressions
- 63,000
- CTR
- 8.7%
- Views
- 5,500
Resident Evil Village
Video title · English translation
Resident Evil Village Ignored Almost All of RE7’s Story
Thumbnail text · English translationForgotten in RE8
- Impressions
- 19,100
- CTR
- 5.76%
- Views
- 1,100
Resident Evil · Netflix
Video title · English translation
Netflix’s Resident Evil: So Bad It’s Still Bad
Thumbnail text · English translationA DISGRACE Bearing the Resident Evil Name
- Impressions
- 9,500
- CTR
- 9.08%
- Views
- 863
Las Plagas · Resident Evil 4 & 5
Video title · English translation
Resident Evil 4 and 5 Don’t Explain This (But There’s an Answer)
Thumbnail text · English translationHow Did Las Plagas Reach Africa?
- Impressions
- 4,900
- CTR
- 9.22%
- Views
- 452
Learning as a viewer
Three channels. A sharper strategic eye.
Alongside my client work and my own channel, I learned by paying attention to how other creators present their videos. Dozens of channels have influenced my thinking; these three are selected examples of the lessons that helped shape my current approach.
Selected video · English title
What’s Inside the Official 2026 World Cup Ball?
Manual do Mundo helped me see how much a thumbnail can communicate before someone reads a word. To my eye, it is one of the strongest examples of immediate visual clarity: the subject is recognizable almost instantly, even for viewers who do not read Portuguese.
Vibrant color and polished compositing make edited scenes feel convincingly real—a finish I especially appreciate. The titles make a direct promise to answer a specific question, while the thumbnail shows the scene suggested by that promise. Each adds a different part of the idea.
What I took from itInstant recognition, convincing compositing, and distinct roles for the image and title.
Watch example
Selected video · English title
No One Is Using Tinder...
Logically Answered showed me how a minimal thumbnail can still feel inventive. Short text and carefully chosen elements bring the video’s central tension forward, making a specific subject feel worth listening to.
The titles often use what I think of as informative provocation: a choice of words that connects the topic to real people. The language feels direct and conversational, with the immediacy of an internet discussion and a sharper point of view than a conventional TV news headline.
What I took from itUse a few deliberate elements, identify the central tension, and choose words that make the information matter.
Watch example
Selected video · English title
A Call of Duty Campaign... but 20 Years Ago
Funky Black Cat shaped the way I think about recognition in gaming thumbnails. In his gameplay series, the visual idea often comes from a specific frame: a close crop of a character’s face, an enemy, or a distinctive detail that viewers recognize, even if they have only heard about the game.
His more personal titles often use the first person and work with the audience’s connection to his personality and charisma. Gameplay episode titles highlight a specific tension in that part of the series while preserving the surprise of what happens next.
What I took from itFrame selection and cropping can carry the idea. The title’s voice should fit the creator, the episode, and the audience’s relationship with both.
Watch exampleTogether with my practical experience, these observations helped me build my own criteria: identify the central tension, choose the click angle, give the title and thumbnail clear roles, and remove competing interpretations.
Immediate Visual Clarity
Clarity is built before the design.
The experience above shaped the questions I now answer before opening the editor: what must the viewer understand, what creates tension, and what should the title and thumbnail each contribute? Immediate Visual Clarity turns those questions into a practical process.
1
Find the main tension
Identify the strongest conflict, curiosity, transformation, risk, benefit, or unanswered question inside the video.
2
Choose the click angle
Define the most compelling way to frame that idea before any visual execution begins.
3
Split title and thumbnail
The title communicates the promise or angle. The thumbnail shows the visual action, situation, or relationship.
4
Remove competing reads
Reduce unnecessary elements so the viewer reaches one dominant interpretation as quickly as possible.
Best fit
Clarity needs a real idea.
Immediate Visual Clarity works best when the video contains a real, specific idea with enough tension to build on.
Best fit for
- Specific video ideas
- Clear viewer promise
- Strong topics with visible tension
- Content the creator can explain clearly
Not built for
- Empty clickbait
- Generic videos with no clear angle
- Vague or ambiguous topics
- Unclear even to the creator
Clarity amplifies a strong idea, it does not invent one.
See how I think.
I picked a random YouTube video to demonstrate my strategic decisions in practice. The same approach works with any video that has a core tension to build on.
Pilot partnership
First project · 50% off
Your next video.Full strategic thinking.
A thumbnail and title developed together around your video’s central tension, with a clear creative direction from the start.
Featured pilot package · One video
Thumbnail + Title
- 1 custom thumbnail + 1 original title, built as one connected creative direction.
- Tension analysis, click-angle strategy and one focused revision round across both.
- Final thumbnail in JPG + PNG, ready to upload.
Why I’m offering thisI’m looking for the first external case study of my current Immediate Visual Clarity method. You receive the full agreed strategic work at half the regular price; we agree on the performance data I can use to document the process.
First-project pricing
- USD
International clients - Regular
$65$32.50 - BRL
Clients based in Brazil - Regular
R$169R$84,50
One project. No ongoing commitment. The discount applies to your first project only; future projects use the regular pricing.
- Scope & delivery agreed
We confirm the brief, price and schedule before production.
- One focused revision
One consolidated round of adjustments across the agreed pair.
- Direct collaboration
You work directly with me throughout the creative process.
- of thumbnail design
- 7 years
- client reviews
- 17 five-star
“Thiago was very professional. His work was excellent, and everything he delivered was of outstanding quality…”
How will the pilot and its results be documented?
Before starting, we agree on a reporting window and the YouTube Analytics screenshots you can share, such as impressions, CTR and views. We also agree on which work, channel details and results may be shown publicly. Your participation and publication timing are part of that conversation.
Strategy breakdown · Resident Evil 4
One video. A clear visual relationship.
A real video from my own channel, used here to explain how I read the relationship between a title and a thumbnail. The title names the event; the image turns the victory into a scene.
Core idea
Resident Evil 4 was crowned GOTY in 2005.
Main tension
A radical reinvention of the series became one of 2005's biggest winners.
Click angle
Historic recognition — relive the moment RE4 reached the top.
Title role
States the exact event and year; the thumbnail visualizes the victory.
Historical video results · channel with 300–600 subscribers
64,500 impressions
17.67% click-through rate
11,400 views
These are the video’s accumulated results, including the period before the latest title updates.
Title + thumbnail relationship
"The Moment Resident Evil 4 Won GOTY 2005"
Visual concepts across niches
Different niches. One clear visual idea.
A selection of visual concepts showing how I apply the same thinking across different subjects.
Skills & expertise.
Thumbnail
Design
Clear ideas. Strong visual hierarchy.
Title
Strategy
Compelling angles. Clear promises.
YouTube
Analytics
Data that guides the next decision.
Image
Compositing
Seamless images, light and color.
Creative
Direction
The concept behind every visual.
Tools
- Photopea
- Photoshop
- Lightroom
Additional Work
Image compositing.
Below, I showcase a bit more of what I can do in Photoshop, beyond just thumbnails (without using AI).
Before & after
These are image manipulations created in Photoshop, involving various compositions featuring light, color, and strong contrast.
Full Portfolio
See the full methodology, real data, and complete case studies.
Explore the full portfolio with selected projects, visual reasoning, before-and-after examples, positioning, and real YouTube data including CTR, impressions, and views.
The workflow
How we work together.
A clear workflow with defined roles.
01
You send
Video idea, current title and key context.
02
I define
The strongest title-thumbnail direction.
03
I build
The final thumbnail around the chosen direction.
04
We refine
One focused revision, then final delivery.
Clear input. Fast decisions. No unnecessary back-and-forth.
If you feel you already have a strong, compelling title for your video, we can work solely on the thumbnail.
Services & pricing
The right support.
For your next video.
From a finished brief to two complete creative directions. Choose the support your video needs, with a clear scope and upfront pricing.
International clients: prices are listed in USD. Clients in Brazil: all services also have localized prices in Brazilian reais (BRL), available through the Portuguese request buttons below.
- Clear deliverables
- Defined revisions
- Direct collaboration
Strategy & creative direction
I develop the creative direction. Each package covers one video.
01 / Visual strategy
Strategic Thumbnail
$47 USD / video
Your title is ready. Give it a clear visual idea.
I identify the tension and click angle, then build a thumbnail around your video and existing title.
Recommended for Channels with a steady, manageable publishing schedule, such as 1–2 videos per week, and a final title already in place.
- 1 custom thumbnail
- 1 original visual concept
- Tension & click-angle strategy
- 1 focused revision round
- JPG + PNG, ready to upload
You supply the final title.
Title writing, A/B variants and editable files are not included.
Checkout via Ko-fi
Solicitar contratação em reais — R$12202 / Complete packaging
Thumbnail + Title
$65 USD / video
One clear idea. Image and words working together.
I develop your thumbnail and title together, giving each a clear role in communicating the idea and creating curiosity.
Recommended for Channels with a steady, manageable publishing schedule, such as 1–2 videos per week, that also need an original title.
- 1 custom thumbnail + 1 original title
- 1 connected creative direction
- Tension & click-angle strategy
- 1 revision round across both
- JPG + PNG, ready to upload
Includes title creation for $18 more.
A/B variants and editable files are not included.
Checkout via Ko-fi
Solicitar contratação em reais — R$16903 / Two creative directions
A/B Creative Kit
$130 USD / video
Explore two angles. Keep control of both designs.
Get two distinct title–thumbnail pairs for the same video, plus the layered files to adapt either design.
Recommended for Creators who want to test different click angles in thumbnails and titles, then compare performance metrics.
- 2 distinct thumbnails + 2 titles
- Tension & click-angle strategy
- 2 layered PSD files included
- 1 revision round across both pairs
- JPG + PNG, ready to upload
Creative assets for A/B testing.
Test setup, monitoring and results analysis are not included.
Checkout via Ko-fi
Solicitar contratação em reais — R$33804 / Recurring production
Production Workflow
Your brief. Consistent execution.
For predictable, repeatable, high-volume workflows with an agreed visual format.
Recommended for Channels with a high monthly video output, an established visual format and a clear brief for each thumbnail.
- 1 thumbnail from your approved brief
- 1 round of minor revisions
- JPG + PNG, ready to upload
You supply: the concept, final title, click angle and visual references. Feel free to share thumbnail styles you like from other channels.
Execution only. Tension analysis, concept and click-angle development, title writing, A/B variants and editable files are not included.
$15 USD / thumbnail
Discuss my workflow Solicitar contratação em reais — R$50Checkout via Ko-fi · Volume & schedule agreed in advance
Compare every deliverable
Swipe horizontally to compare all four packages.
| What you receive | Strategic Thumbnail $47 / video | Thumbnail + Title $65 / video | A/B Creative Kit $130 / video | Production Workflow $15 / thumbnail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recommended for | Steady output (e.g. 1–2 videos/week); final title ready | Steady output (e.g. 1–2 videos/week); title creation included | Testing click angles and comparing performance metrics | High monthly output with an established visual format |
| Final thumbnails | 1 | 1 | 2 distinct concepts | 1 |
| Titles written | Client supplies title | 1 original title | 2 original titles | Client supplies title |
| Tension & click-angle strategy | Included | Included | Included | Not included |
| Creative direction | 1 concept developed | 1 connected title–thumbnail concept | 2 title–thumbnail concepts | Supplied by client |
| Revision allowance | 1 round | 1 round across both deliverables | 1 round across both pairs | 1 minor revision round |
| Final JPG + PNG files | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Editable PSD files | Not included | Not included | Both thumbnails | Not included |
How is the $15 workflow different from the $47 package?
The $15 workflow is for recurring execution from a complete brief and an agreed visual format. You supply the concept, final title, click angle and references. The $47 package includes developing the visual concept, identifying the tension and defining the click angle for your video.
What does one revision round include?
One consolidated list of adjustments to the agreed creative direction, covering the deliverables in your package. Production revisions are minor adjustments within your supplied brief. New concepts, changed briefs and additional rounds are quoted separately.
Does the A/B kit include running the test?
The kit includes two distinct thumbnails, two titles and the layered PSD files for both thumbnails, all for one video. You receive the creative assets to run your test. Test setup, monitoring and result analysis are not included.
How do we agree on delivery?
Ko-fi handles service orders, checkout and payment. We confirm your brief, scope and delivery schedule directly before production begins. Recurring workflows also require an agreed production volume and visual format. Any additional work is quoted before it is added.
About
The person behind the work.
I’m Thiago Macallen, and I care about understanding how things are made and why they work. Games, films and animation have long been part of my life. Looking closely at the choices behind those experiences gradually shaped my taste, my expectations and the care I bring to my own work.
Among those influences, Nintendo and Disney have become two of my main references for quality. I admire the care behind their work: the decisions, testing and refinement that give each element a purpose.
Learning about production and development has steadily raised my standard for what “good” really means. I pay attention to details such as:
- Carefully captured soundRecording and refining audio with exacting care, down to the smallest detail.
- Real places as referenceTravelling to specific locations to capture environments, textures and atmosphere.
- Movement that feels rightTesting and refining animation repeatedly until it feels fluid and natural.
- Purposeful pacingRemoving repetition from gameplay and storytelling, keeping people engaged and wanting to see what comes next.
These references influence both my personal life and professional work. In a thumbnail, that care becomes a deliberate choice of frame, expression, composition, lighting and visual relationships. I keep refining those choices to create an image that feels clear, cohesive and captivating. Every detail needs a reason to be there.
I value logic, objectivity and the search for what is true. I want to understand the why behind things, question assumptions and adjust my view when the evidence calls for it. In teams, I pair clear reasoning with listening, respect and practical communication. That approach has helped me build strong working relationships, and it is how I approach each new collaboration.
Contact
Tell me about your next video.
Send your channel link, a specific video or idea, the service you need and any planned publishing date. We can confirm the scope and next steps in writing.
Contact me directly
For project questions, availability or the pilot partnership, reach me by email or WhatsApp.
thiagomacallen.design@gmail.com WhatsApp: +55 34 99203-2118Choose a service
Compare the packages and deliverables, then contact me to discuss your project. Localized pricing in BRL is available for clients based in Brazil.
Clientes no Brasil: você também pode enviar sua solicitação pelo formulário em português.
Terms & project information
A clear scope. An agreed process.
These details explain how my services are organized. Before production begins, we confirm the selected package, deliverables, price, payment arrangements and delivery schedule in writing.
Packages & deliverables
Each package covers one video. The Services & pricing section lists the current prices and full scope.
- Strategic Thumbnail: one custom thumbnail built around your video and final title, with one original visual concept and one focused revision round. You supply the final title.
- Thumbnail + Title: one thumbnail and one title developed together, with one focused revision round.
- A/B Creative Kit: two distinct thumbnails and two titles for the same video, two layered PSD files and one revision round across both pairs.
- Production Workflow: one thumbnail executed from your complete brief and agreed visual format, with one round of minor revisions. You supply the concept, final title, click angle and visual references.
Thumbnails are delivered as JPG and PNG, ready to upload. Additional videos, concepts or deliverables are quoted separately.
Briefing, schedule & communication
Share the video or script, channel link, available source material, title or title direction, references and intended publishing date. We agree on the brief and delivery schedule before production begins.
If the brief, materials or feedback change during the project, we review any effect on scope and timing together. Recurring production also requires an agreed volume and visual format.
Revisions & changes of direction
One revision round means one consolidated list of adjustments to the agreed creative direction, covering the deliverables in your package. Production Workflow revisions are minor adjustments within your supplied brief.
New concepts, changed briefs and additional revision rounds are quoted separately. Any additional work is agreed before it is added.
Editable files & A/B testing
Layered PSD files are included exclusively in the A/B Creative Kit. The other packages include the final JPG and PNG exports.
The A/B kit supplies the creative assets for your test. Test setup, monitoring and results analysis are outside the package scope.
Booking, payment & currencies
Use the package links or contact me to discuss a project. We confirm the price and payment arrangements before production begins.
Ko-fi is used for service orders, checkout and payment. Project planning, communication and creative work are handled directly with me.
USD pricing is for international clients. Localized BRL pricing is available for clients based in Brazil. For a booking through a platform, its applicable payment and project rules also apply.
First pilot project
I’m seeking a new channel partner for the first external pilot case study of my current Immediate Visual Clarity method. The offer is 50% off the agreed strategic package price for your first project only. The featured Thumbnail + Title pilot covers one video, one custom thumbnail, one original title and one focused revision round. Other strategic scopes can be discussed before booking.
We confirm the selected video, deliverables, price, schedule, reporting window and which performance data or work may be shown publicly before starting. No ongoing commitment is required. Further projects use the regular pricing. Existing client work and historical results in this portfolio predate the current method.
Performance data & portfolio use
The creative work aims to communicate the video clearly and give viewers a reason to click. A specific CTR, view count or growth result is not guaranteed. Performance also depends on the topic, audience, distribution and video itself.
If we document a case study, we agree on the data you can provide, such as impressions, CTR, views and the measurement period. We also agree on what work, channel details or results may be shown publicly, including any confidentiality or publication timing requirements.
Cancellations & project changes
Please contact me as soon as possible if you need to cancel, pause or change a project. Cancellation and refund arrangements are confirmed with the booking, taking account of the agreed scope, work already completed and any applicable platform rules.
If a request affects the agreed price, scope or delivery date, we confirm the revised arrangements in writing before continuing.
Have a question about your project? Contact me before booking
