Jim Schindler created the McDonald's logo redesign that transformed the two arches into an M in 1962.
Schindler, a McDonald's engineering and design employee, combined the separate architectural arches into a single graphic emblem. The result retained the shape customers already associated with the restaurants while making it practical for signs, packaging, and other printed materials.
The redesign marked an important shift from building-based branding to a portable corporate symbol. The Golden Arches could appear even when no restaurant structure was visible, allowing the identity to travel through advertisements, wrappers, uniforms, and roadside signs.
Stanley Meston is associated with the original architectural arches, so the two names are often mixed up. Meston designed the building feature; Schindler created the 1962 logo treatment that turned the arches into the recognizable M-shaped mark.