Evolution of a Logo: Step 1 - Mind Map & Sketches

Creating a logo can be hard. It's even harder when you're in a creative rut. I have found myself in the latter of the situations. I don't know what's going on, but I have been in a creative rut for a few months now. It's hard to describe it but if you're in any art field I'm sure you can relate. So how do I get myself out of this rut? I have all these awesome ideas for different things that I would love to do but I have no idea how to execute them. What I like to do is get away from designing for a little bit. This time frame can be anywhere from a short 15 minute break to a few days. If I don't have a few days then I have to force myself to get something done which isn't the best thing to do if you're in a creative rut, but it's just something that has to be done. Here is what I like to do if I am on a deadline. 

If I can't think of anything to do for the current project I am working on, I like to start by creating a mind map. A mind map is created by taking a topic and listing different topics that can relate to the original topic. The awesome thing about using a mind map is that nothing is off limits, you can let your ideas flow and go completely off the original topic. Doing this allows me to develop a direction to take with my project. Below is my mind map that I created to give me an idea about what to do for a logo regarding my product line. As I have stated in previous posts, I am doing a series of energy drinks that are based off of the seven deadly sins. Therefore, my main topic in the center of the page is "Seven Deadly Sins".

After doing the mind map, I have a better idea about what I want to do for a logo. To move forward, I created some thumbnail sketches of potential logos. Thumbnails are usually small and offer different variations and concepts to help a designer explore their options. I like to do a minimum of ten thumbnails so I have a variety of things to choose from. This is also a good thing to do so a client can see the different directions that the design can take as well as allow the client to choose what will best reflect the company. The following image contains my thumbnails for the logo that will be used for my energy drink line. I have decided to call the drink "Seven". 

These are the first two steps in creating a logo. From here, I will get some opinions from my peers to see what logo out of the thumbnails they like best. After that, I will take the top three logos and present them in digital format. The digital format will be done in a later post. 

This is what marks the start of my project. 

Anyone who reads please feel free to comment on which thumbnail you like most.