Who created the overlapping-arches symbol used in McDonald’s 1962 corporate logo?

Jim Schindler created the overlapping-arches symbol used in McDonald’s 1962 corporate logo.

Schindler adapted the arches from McDonald’s restaurant architecture into a unified graphic mark. By overlapping the two shapes, he produced the stylized yellow “M” that could be recognized even when no restaurant building was visible.

This work followed the earlier architectural contribution of Stanley Meston. Meston’s arches were physical features on restaurant buildings, while Schindler’s contribution was the graphic transformation that made the arches a corporate logo. That distinction explains why both names appear in accounts of McDonald’s branding history.

The symbol became increasingly valuable as McDonald’s expanded beyond its original building design. It could appear on signs, advertisements, wrappers, uniforms, and international locations, giving the company a consistent visual identity across different settings.