Thumbnail Close Reading – Yiran Xiao

I like watching evaluation and testing of new technology in my spare time. So when there’s anyone who shares the pros and cons of a product, I would definitely click to watch it. This is one of my favorite YouTubers, Elena Lin. She is currently studying in Netherlands and shares her daily lives and some suggestions for college life. One of the reasons I was attracted to this video was because of the same study abroad background. Also, I am a fan of her, so I watch almost all her previous videos. The quality of her video is also very good because I found the suggestion she made was very useful. Under these circumstances, I have a propensity to watch and like videos made by her.

The background of this thumbnail is grey and brownish. There isn’t an overall main color, but the main character holding the Apple products with other eye-catching words and stickers are the essential elements in this thumbnail. The title in the picture says “Is iPad Pro worth to buy? Can it replace computer?”. The words “worth to buy” is highlighted in brown which poses a skeptical question to appeal people. The audience will also have a first look on that if they want to know more about this product.

The structure of the thumbnail has a very clear and straightforward goal that the YouTuber is trying to share her experience with the new iPad Pro product and tell us what is good and bad, whether students or YouTubers like her should buy it. I always look at the center first and then left and right. The photo of herself in the center gives the audience a friendly and benign image so that people would want to know more about her and her experience.