Jim Schindler designed the modern Golden Arches logo introduced by McDonald’s in 1962.
The design transformed the restaurant chain’s earlier architectural arches into a recognizable, overlapping golden “M.” Schindler worked for McDonald’s as a construction and design employee, and his logo connected the company’s roadside architecture with its corporate identity.
The arches themselves originated earlier. Architect Stanley Clark Meston designed the distinctive yellow arches for a McDonald’s restaurant in Downey, California, in the 1950s. Those physical arches were part of the restaurant’s building design, not initially the exact logo used worldwide.
A common mix-up is crediting Ray Kroc with creating the logo. Kroc was central to McDonald’s expansion, but Schindler is credited with converting the arches into the familiar symbol. The logo later became one of the world’s most recognizable corporate marks.