The prominent size of YouTube’s video previews is a deliberate design choice impacting user engagement and discoverability. These visual representations, displayed before a user clicks to watch, serve as a primary means of conveying content information and attracting viewers.
This approach is strategically beneficial. Larger previews provide more visual detail, enabling viewers to quickly assess video content. This facilitates faster decision-making while browsing and increases the likelihood of a user selecting a specific video. Historically, as screen resolutions improved and internet bandwidth increased, platforms adapted by using more visually engaging previews to cater to user expectations.