Who created the first version of McDonald's modern Golden Arches logo in 1962?

Jim Schindler created the first version of McDonald's modern Golden Arches logo in 1962.

Schindler was a McDonald's design consultant who joined the two architectural arches into a stylized M. The resulting mark transformed an element of restaurant architecture into a compact symbol that could appear on signs, packaging, uniforms, and advertising.

The logo's shape was not simply a letter chosen from a typeface. It grew out of the earlier arches designed for McDonald's buildings, which explains why the company's most recognizable symbol has a strong connection to its restaurants' physical appearance.

The mark changed in later decades, including adjustments to its colors and presentation, but the paired-arch structure remained central. The logo is often attributed to the architect of the original arches, Stanley Clark Meston; Meston designed the buildings' arches, while Schindler created the graphic combination used as the corporate symbol.