Jim Schindler created the stylized Golden Arches logo that became McDonald's corporate symbol in 1962.
The logo transformed the arches from architectural features into a simple graphic mark. Schindler combined the two separate roofline arches into the recognizable M-shaped symbol associated with McDonald's restaurants around the world.
This change mattered because a graphic logo could appear on signs, packaging, advertisements, uniforms, and later many other forms of branded communication. The symbol was easier to reproduce consistently than a complete restaurant building and could identify the company even when no restaurant facade was visible.
People sometimes assume that the Golden Arches began as a letter M. Historically, they began as large architectural arches on restaurant buildings. The 1962 design connected those structures to the letterform that became the enduring corporate mark.