Stanley Meston designed the Golden Arches for McDonald's first standardized restaurant design in 1952.
McDonald's commissioned Meston, an architect based in Southern California, to create a distinctive building that could be recognized from the road. The design used two large yellow arches on opposite sides of the restaurant. From some angles, the arches framed the building; viewed in perspective, they suggested a stylized letter M.
The arches were initially architectural features rather than a standalone corporate logo. They helped restaurants attract passing motorists and made the roadside buildings visually consistent. McDonald's later transformed the arches into a graphic symbol that could appear on packaging, signs, uniforms, and advertisements.
A common mix-up is crediting the Golden Arches to Ray Kroc, who expanded McDonald's nationally. Kroc was the company's major franchising force, but Meston was the architect associated with the original standardized arch design. The arches eventually became one of the world's most recognizable brand symbols.