I've designed hundreds of TikTok covers and Reels carousels for creators, and the same 3 mistakes kill engagement every time:

1. Too much text. If someone needs 3 seconds to read your cover, you've already lost the scroll. One bold phrase, max 5-6 words.

2. No contrast hierarchy. Your eye should know exactly where to look first. If everything is the same size/weight, nothing stands out.

3. Ignoring platform-native sizing. A design that looks great on desktop often gets cropped or squished in-feed. Always design in the actual aspect ratio you're publishing to (1080x1350 for IG, 1080x1920 for Reels/TikTok covers).

Small fixes here compound — creators who clean this up see real jumps in watch-through and saves, because the first frame is doing its job: stopping the scroll.

If you're a creator drowning in inconsistent, DIY graphics, that's literally what I do full-time now — happy to chat design in the comments.