What 1962 McDonald’s logo turned the Golden Arches into an “M”?

Jim Schindler’s design turned McDonald’s Golden Arches into an “M” in 1962.

Before 1962, the arches were primarily architectural features on McDonald’s restaurant buildings. The company’s restaurants often used two yellow arches, visible from the roadside and intended to attract passing motorists.

Schindler, a McDonald’s engineering and design consultant, connected the two arches visually to create the letter M. This transformed an architectural motif into a recognizable corporate mark. The design became one of the world’s most familiar logos.

A common mix-up is crediting architect Stanley Meston with the logo itself. Meston designed the early restaurant architecture that inspired the arches, while Schindler created the joined-arches logo. Ray Kroc expanded McDonald’s nationally but did not design the symbol.