We scored Kurzgesagt thumbnails, then tried to beat them
Kurzgesagt packages one illustrated image under two or three big words. We scored two thumbs through Thumbly Score, applied the fixes, and re-scored. LOST FOREVER went 68 to 77. WE LOST CONTROL slipped from 78 to 76.
5 min read ThumbnailsYouTubeTeardownCreator BreakdownPsychologyKurzgesagt doesn't put a host in the frame. Both thumbs we scored have one drawn subject in the middle and two or three big white words across the top. The drawing sets the mood, and the words say what it is.
Nobody real is on screen in either one. A drawn eye does the job in the first, and a carved stone face does it in the second.
We took two long-form thumbs, WE LOST CONTROL and LOST FOREVER, and ran them through [Thumbly Score](/thumbly-score). Same flow as the [ElectroBOOM](/blog/electroboom-thumbnail-teardown) and [NileRed](/blog/nile-red-thumbnail-teardown) teardowns. Score the original, apply the fix, score again.
Thumbnail 1: "WE LOST CONTROL"
The video is [AI Just Crossed the Terrifying Line - Now What?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujkD4SxPKOI).
*Kurzgesagt's published thumbnail.*
A huge red and orange eye fills the middle, with a black slit pupil and lines like circuits in the iris. White light bursts out behind it, cut by red and black streaks with a color split glitch on the edges. WE LOST CONTROL runs across the top in big white capitals.
**Thumbly Score: 78/100**
| Dimension | Score |
|---|---|
| Virality | 75 |
| Clarity | 80 |
| Idea | 70 |
| Curiosity | 85 |
| Emotion | 80 |
Curiosity at 85 is the high mark. The words don't say who lost control, and the eye isn't human, so you want to know.
Idea at 70 is the soft spot. Thumbly's verdict says the eye's impact "could be more dramatic."
Thumbly wanted darker shadows around the eye, a dark glitch layer behind the text, and stronger color splitting on the red lines and the eye's edge. We kept the text and the eye's design as they were. This is what came back:
*Thumbly's edit.*
**76/100, down two.** Idea fell from 70 to 60. Virality, clarity, curiosity and emotion held at 75, 80, 85 and 80.
The edit followed the tips. The bright white burst turned mostly black, and the glow now sits in a tight ring around the eye with louder color splitting. The new verdict says the eye "could be more unique," so the change made it look moodier without making the idea any newer.
Thumbnail 2: "LOST FOREVER"
The video is [We Finally Know More About Humanity’s First Civilization](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_y9JuojAIg0).
*Kurzgesagt's published thumbnail.*
Three round stone figures with worried, carved faces sit in purple mist against a dark, starry sky. The middle one is lit warm and faces you, mouth open. The two behind it fade into shadow. LOST FOREVER runs across the top in big white capitals.
**Thumbly Score: 68/100**
| Dimension | Score |
|---|---|
| Virality | 55 |
| Clarity | 80 |
| Idea | 60 |
| Curiosity | 75 |
| Emotion | 78 |
Clarity at 80 and emotion at 78 hold it up. The middle face looks sad before you read a word.
Virality at 55 is the lowest number in this teardown. Thumbly's verdict names the middle figure's impact as "the biggest lever holding it back."
Thumbly wanted a harder light on the middle figure, a purple rim light on the two in the back, and richer violet mist at the bottom. We kept the text and the figures' faces as they were. This is what came back:
*Thumbly's edit.*
**77/100, up nine.** Idea jumped from 60 to 75 and emotion from 78 to 88. Virality rose from 55 to 65 and curiosity from 75 to 85. Clarity held at 80.
The purple rim light pulled the two back figures out of the dark, so it now reads as a group that's lost, not one stone in fog. The mist got brighter and more violet. The new verdict still says the side figures "lack visual presence," so Thumbly would push them further.
What held up
WE LOST CONTROL held up better as Kurzgesagt published it. Thumbly's own fixes took it from 78 to 76. The darker background gave it more mood, but idea fell ten points, and nothing else moved to make up for it. The bright white burst in the original was doing more than it looked like.
LOST FOREVER is the opposite case. Its problem was light, not the idea. Once you could see all three figures, the "lost" in the text had a group to point at, and the score rose nine points.
The text held up in both. Neither edit touched the words, and clarity sat at 80 before and after on both thumbs.
What to steal from Kurzgesagt
A drawn subject can carry the feeling if it has an expression you can read at phone size. The worried stone face does that, and so does an eye that isn't human. Kurzgesagt pairs it with two or three words in big white capitals.
Before you change a thumb, check which number is low. LOST FOREVER was held back by light, so relighting it helped. WE LOST CONTROL was already scoring well, and a darker look cost it a little.
Want the same Score loop on your own thumbs? Run them through [Thumbly Score](/thumbly-score), try the fix, and re-score. Generate or export in [Thumbly Studio](/) when you're ready to ship.
This piece is commentary on public packaging. We are reading the picture, not claiming Kurzgesagt's CTR.
