If you know a lot about video games, follow the industry and want to stream, it’s time to start a YouTube channel. In the article we will tell you about the design of the gaming channel, why do it and where to start.
Benefits of channel design
A well-thought-out concept of the appearance of a YouTube channel has a number of advantages. Even if you have the most original content in gaming, without design, you will waste your efforts. Four reasons why you need to make your channel look presentable:
- Subscriber growth. If a let’s play or a review has flown into trends or recommendations, the first thing new viewers will pay attention to is the preview and avatar. The more unique and high-quality they are, the more likely it is that the video will be watched and subscribed to.
- Increasing awareness. Not everyone who liked the author’s content subscribes. And those who follow, not every video will be viewed. But if the icon, header and preview are bright and memorable, then the audience will open new videos more often both from the channel and from the recommendations section.
- Attract advertisers. When a YouTube channel is designed in such a way that it can attract new subscribers, it will be able to interest representatives of various brands.
- Sales growth. Thanks to the design and consistently released content, you can earn money on personal merchandise – t-shirts, caps, hoodies and other items.
How to make a hat
The header is the main banner at the top of the page. It is he who is first of all seen by the audience who visited the channel. If you look at the TOP 100 popular gaming YouTube channels with millions and hundreds of thousands of subscribers, you will notice that gamers mainly indicate:
- channel name;
- your photo or logo;
- links to social networks.
YouTube banner technical requirements:
- 2560×1440 pixels;
- JPG format;
- up to 2 MB in size.
For beginners, we recommend that you indicate the content format in the header – industry news, reviews, let’s plays, streams and other areas. So a new person on the page will immediately understand what you are doing and what you are showing. On the picture you can place some game attributes. Do not forget about the color scheme of all design elements. It needs to be thought out in advance so that the shades do not cause rejection and are combined both against the background in the header and on the avatar.
Logo preparation
The corporate icon increases the recognition of the author of the YouTube channel. The logo can be used as an avatar and/or as a watermark for releases. Some streamers put a watermark on top of each of their videos in the top right corner. Other players make the logo clickable through the channel settings. It is located on the right outside the video sequence and new viewers can subscribe to the channel while watching the video.
YouTube technical requirements for logos:
- 150×150 pixels;
- JPEG, PNG, BMP or GIF format;
- no more than 1 MB.
You can order an icon from professional designers or create it yourself using logo designers and graphic editors. Translucent options look perfect, so give preference to the PNG format.
Create an intro
The introductory splash screen should reflect the essence of the channel, contain a logo, name and other branded elements. The duration of the intro is recommended to be up to 5 seconds so that the viewer does not get bored. But in the gaming world, things are not so simple. For example, Kuplinov Play uses a disclaimer with its recognizable melody as a splash screen, while Marmok has a 3-second animation with a logo.
Even in popular gaming YouTube channels, someone cuts what will be in the release or immediately greets the audience with an original greeting. And someone does without the usual intro for subscribers and presents the authors in different ways from video to video. The latter is often found in news or review topics.
Intro can be made independently in special software. To find the best intro maker for you , read about the top 15 apps by clicking on the link.
Avatar selection
For gamers who stream and record let’s play, it is better to put a personal photo on the avatar. People follow a live person more actively than an anonymous character, so portrait avatars attract more attention. The image can be processed in photo editors to make an unusual and catchy background. With the help of neural networks, you can turn a photo into a cartoon or a drawing.
If several people are working on the content, it is optimal to put the developed logo on the avatar. This is suitable for news and review formats. The logo or unusual pictures are placed by players who wish to remain anonymous. The problem is that in order to gain popularity, you need to have catchy chips – original editing, manner of speech, delivered voice, humorous comments, and so on.
YouTube photo specifications:
- 98×98 pixels;
- PNG or GIF format (but not animated);
- no more than 4 MB.
Conclusion
Now you know how to design a game channel. First, decide on the type of content in the gaming industry. Choose a color scheme and font. Design a header, prepare a logo, create an intro and put a bright avatar. And then work on interesting videos for subscribers.
