Which McDonald's logo designer united the two Golden Arches into an M in 1962?

Jim Schindler united the two Golden Arches into an M-shaped McDonald's logo in 1962.

The original arches were separate architectural elements placed at the sides of early McDonald's buildings. Schindler, a company engineer and designer, combined their forms into a single graphic mark, creating the recognizable M associated with the brand.

This change transformed a building feature into a portable corporate identity. The logo could appear on signs, packaging, advertisements, and other materials even when the restaurant architecture was not visible. That flexibility helped make the arches a global symbol.

The architect Stanley Meston designed the original physical arches, which is why the two names are sometimes confused. Meston created the architectural inspiration; Schindler developed the unified 1962 logo form.