Who created the modern simplified McDonald's “M” logo in 1962?

Jim Schindler created the modern simplified McDonald's “M” logo in 1962.

Schindler, a McDonald's engineer and design contributor, combined the restaurant's two architectural arches into a single recognizable mark. The resulting shape resembled an “M,” making the company name visually easier to associate with the symbol.

The date is often mixed up with 1968, when McDonald's adopted a later corporate logo treatment. Stanley Clark Meston designed the earlier restaurant buildings and their physical arches, while Schindler is credited with the simplified graphic form. Ray Kroc expanded the business and shaped its franchise system, but he was not the designer of the mark.