Jim Schindler created the 1962 McDonald’s logo that turned the arches into a stylized “M.”
Schindler’s design combined the two architectural arches into a single graphic mark. This was a major branding step because it allowed the symbol to identify McDonald’s on signs, packaging, advertising, and other materials without requiring a full restaurant building.
The arches had originally been part of the restaurant’s physical design, created to make the buildings visible from highways and streets. The 1962 logo abstracted those structures into a compact emblem while preserving their bright yellow color and strong geometric shape.
Later versions changed proportions, lettering, and surrounding elements, but the basic arches remained central to McDonald’s identity. The logo is sometimes credited to the architect of the original restaurants, Stanley Clark Meston; however, Meston designed the buildings, while Schindler is associated with the 1962 graphic logo.