During the COVID-19 pandemic, I ventured into the world of content creation, aiming to build a YouTube channel focused on kids’ entertainment. The idea? A dedicated marble racing channel, designed to captivate young audiences with exciting visuals and engaging storytelling.

The inspiration came from my belief that marble racing would be a thrilling concept for kids. But beyond the content itself, this project had a deeper purpose—it became a way to support family and friends who had lost their jobs during the pandemic by providing them with new opportunities.

Starting this channel was no small feat. I had to learn everything from scratch, including building marble race tracks, optimizing production efficiency, and refining every detail to make each video engaging.

With limited resources, I transformed my home storage space into our first recording studio. My background in video editing from previous jobs, along with my camera equipment from past wedding projects, proved invaluable in kickstarting production.

At the beginning, the team was small—just a property manager (my best friend) and a digital marketer (my brother). Every other aspect of content production was handled solely by me, including:

• Videography and filming
• Editing and post-production
• Voice-over recording and audio editing
• Thumbnail design and YouTube optimization
• Short animated opening to enhance brand identity
• Comprehensive branding guidelines for consistency
• Website design, development, and launch for a strong digital presence
• Optimized lighting setup to improve video quality

Despite the challenges, I found immense joy in exploring something new, managing a team, and working together to build a recognizable brand.

The core vision of Marble Run Indonesia was to create visually appealing, fun, and engaging videos for kids. This meant:

• Designing vibrant and exciting race tracks
• Ensuring the videos were both entertaining and educational
• Developing a consistent brand identity for the channel

Each video was crafted with careful planning, from the race track layouts to the storytelling elements, to keep young audiences engaged and coming back for more.

As the channel gained traction, I worked on streamlining production to improve efficiency. Some of the key steps included:

• Optimizing video length and pacing for better audience retention
• Improving thumbnail designs to boost click-through rates
• Testing different content formats to see what resonated best with viewers

Managing a growing team also became a crucial part of the journey, ensuring that each role—from editing to marketing—was well-aligned with the brand’s goals.

YouTube is a constantly evolving platform, so we had to experiment with different strategies. Through a mix of A/B testing, SEO optimization, and audience engagement analysis, we adapted our content to maximize reach and monetization.

My foundational UX design skills played a crucial role in establishing this process. By actively listening to the audience, identifying their preferences, and continuously refining content based on insights, I was able to increase viewership. The test-and-iteration approach, combined with an audience-centric mindset, made it easier to shape both the brand identity and content strategy.

This project has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my career. It wasn’t just about making videos—it was about creating something meaningful, providing jobs, and learning the ins and outs of digital content creation.

While this blog can’t fully cover the long journey and lessons learned, I plan to share more insights in the future about the beautiful challenges and growth that come with being a content creator.