Logo Design — AM | PRO | MASTER (What It Looks Like)

There are actually key differences between Amateur Pro and Master Logo Designs. But do you know what divides these three skill tiers? Let’s first look at the use of Typography and LogoType. So, here’s a logo and when you’re thinking about logotype specifically eye the typography on the logo what do you think when you look at this design and the layout?

• Is it decent?
• Do you think it works well?
• What would you potentially change about the logo?

The topography here actually reflects an amateur level, and here is exactly why.
The amateur logo designer will often use a very generic font that simply does not fit the logo at all or at best fonts they like to use the most. And as a drastic example here we have Papyrus, as the choice of the logotype. The amateur logo designer doesn’t understand typeplay psychology and they do not match the font to the target audience and the brief which is a critical error.

Amateur designers often rely on automatic tracking settings and rarely make manual adjustments. If they do adjust anything, they typically stick to preset options without manual kerning. In contrast, professional designers prioritize manual kerning. They outline the type and adjust character spacing manually, either by moving characters individually or using keyboard shortcuts to fine-tune the spacing. The lettering they will understand the importance of manual kerning on a logo.

They will also understand typeface psychology to some extent and they will make good attempts at matching the style of the typeface with the brief. So on this example here we have Montserrat and that’s great because it’s a modern and a robust s serif seemingly fitting the logo brief from the audience.

But what about that Master Level logo designer when it comes to logotype? Master designers often create logotypes from scratch as bespoke designs or customize them with alterations. While this isn’t always the case, it is often their go-to method. More importantly, they achieve a perfect balance between the symbol and the logotype, ensuring the two align seamlessly with the psychology of the target audience. So that’s the rundown of AM, PRO, and Master when thinking about logotype.

Let’s now swing into the sector of color.
Color can be tricky and it’s one of the main reasons why amateur logo designers do come stuck and trip up in their projects. Amateur logo designers will often use colors they think are cool and that’s without considering the brief or color psychology at all. One thing you might notice of an amateur logo is how the typography itself is often presented in color rather than grayscale or black. This in of itself isn’t a sin and it will have a time and a place, but the amateur will often always slap color onto their logotype without any thought.

Something else you can expect to see from an amateur logo design is the overuse of color. And that’s where the designer feels like or feels compelled to use multiple colors on every single design, and again it’s without much thought or design thinking involved. Something else that isn’t really a sin is using gradients on a logo and this third logo design looks fairly decent, right? However, the amateur designer can sometimes rely on gradients for the logos to quote-unquote work. A logo should work well without a gradient and it shouldn’t rely on it to function as a brand mark.

A professional designer has a solid understanding of color theory and how the logo’s color should align with the brief and target audience. However, they often play it safe. For instance, this insurance company logo uses grayscale, which can be seen as a cautious but reasonable choice. But it might not speak to the audience and the brief fully which is a problem and like I mentioned. Understanding color theory at the pro level is important and so a calming blue could represent trust and Reliance for an insurance company. And that’s not wrong at all but things can be taken further in the Master Level.

So the master logo designer will be able to experiment with color in relation to the brief and the target audience. They know when to stray away from conventions and how to do it properly. So if we reconsider this is an insurance company, red might seem to evoke a sense of danger and you think that is a bad choice for an insurance company, right?

But this isn’t a bright blood red, it’s somewhat desaturated and a kind of soft red. But how can this red even be a good choice for an insurance company?

Well, this red is warming which could be welcoming and reassuring to some people. But more so and more importantly it stands out and evokes a sense of strength and boldness. If the The brand’s target audience consists of individuals who see themselves as radical and elite. This palette is likely to appeal to them more than the safe blue used earlier. A master logo designer would recognize this nuance, unlike designers at the two lower tiers.

And now we’re going to look at the third section of Amateur, Pro, and Master logo design. Scalability is one of the most important aspects to a logo design and yet so many people seemingly overlook it.

Amateur designers often add excessive detail to their logos, making them look unpolished. This overcomplication results in logos that appear messy and become unrecognizable at smaller scales. Minor details in the design can usually be removed to improve functionality. Professional designers understand this and focus on creating cleaner, more effective logos.

That professional designer understated a logo needs to be simple to be memorable and effective.

It also needs to function at smaller scales, such as on letterheads or business cards and so on. This often means the logo is simpler and just looks more professional as an end result.

A master logo designer understands everything a professional does but goes further. They include elements like favicons and alternate layouts for the logo. This ensures the client can use the logo across various situations and platforms. This added versatility sets master designers apart.

This refinement ensures the logo works effectively in any situation while maintaining a strong connection to the brand.
If you like to continue your journey at becoming a master logo designer? just click this AM | PRO | MASTER Graphic Design 2025