Who created McDonald’s modern golden double-arched “M” logo in 1962?

Jim Schindler created McDonald’s modern golden double-arched “M” logo in 1962.

Schindler was a McDonald’s construction and design executive who combined the two architectural arches into a single recognizable mark. The resulting form resembled the letter “M,” making the restaurant’s existing architecture useful as a compact corporate symbol.

The logo developed from the physical arches designed for early McDonald’s buildings, but the two contributions are not identical. Stanley Meston is associated with the original restaurant architecture, whereas Schindler is associated with joining the arches into the logo used in branding. That evolution helped McDonald’s move from a building-based identity to a portable symbol that could appear on signs, packaging, uniforms, and advertising.

The arches have remained central to McDonald’s visual identity even as the company changed typefaces, slogans, restaurant designs, and color treatments. Their simple shape also makes the logo recognizable without requiring the company name.