The two yellow arches that became McDonald’s best-known symbol are called the Golden Arches.
The arches began as architectural features rather than a purely graphic logo. Architect Stanley Clark Meston designed them for McDonald’s early restaurant buildings, where large yellow arches helped make the locations visible from the road.
The arches were later combined into the familiar letter-like “M” symbol. This transformation turned a building feature into one of the world’s most recognizable corporate marks. The symbol has appeared in many different sign styles, while retaining its basic yellow-arch identity.
People sometimes assume the arches were created as a reference to the first letter of McDonald’s. Historically, their earliest use was architectural, although the joined arches eventually became an “M” associated with the company’s name and global branding.