Jim Schindler redesigned McDonald’s Golden Arches into the overlapping “M” logo in 1962.
The earlier arches were architectural elements on restaurant buildings. Schindler’s redesign combined their shapes into a single graphic mark, creating the form that became widely recognized as McDonald’s corporate symbol.
This change helped the arches work consistently on signs, packaging, advertisements, and other branded materials. The design retained the visual identity of the restaurant buildings while making it more practical as a standalone logo.
People sometimes confuse Schindler’s logo work with Stanley Meston’s architectural work. Meston designed the original building arches, while Schindler transformed the two arches into the stylized “M” used in McDonald’s branding.