Who created the 1962 graphic version of McDonald's Golden Arches?

Jim Schindler created the 1962 graphic version of McDonald’s Golden Arches.

Schindler combined the separate architectural arches into a single stylized mark resembling the letter “M.” This graphic treatment made the arches practical for signs, packaging, advertisements, and other media beyond the restaurant building.

The redesign built on the work of architect Stanley Clark Meston and collaborator Charles Fish, whose earlier restaurant design had used large yellow arches as roadside structures. The logo therefore grew directly from McDonald’s architecture.

Schindler’s 1962 mark should not be confused with the later refinements made to the logo. The essential branding breakthrough was turning two physical arches into one recognizable corporate symbol.