This image was lost some time after publication.

Blogoscoped corralled Ruth Kedar of KedarDesigns into recounting the story of how she came up with the Google logo back in 1999. It's a charming story, but not one that should have taken 619 words to explain. Here's a version for the ADD among us.

Was teaching design at Stanford in 1999. This particular logo was selected because it was playful, deceptively simple. Subtle as to look almost non-designed, the reading effortless.

The colors evoke child play, but stray from the color wheel to hint to serendipity and the irreverence and boldness of the "I'm feeling lucky" link. The texture and shading lift it from the page, giving it both weight and lightness. Solid but ethereal.

The chosen typeface is an old-style serif typeface. Search, by nature, is an activity that requires we look into the past; historical ties seemed appropriate.