Jim Schindler designed McDonald’s 1962 Golden Arches logo, stylizing the restaurant’s architectural arches into an “M.”
Schindler’s design transformed a physical feature of McDonald’s buildings into a compact corporate symbol. The paired arches were joined visually so that the mark could represent the company even when the full restaurant name was absent.
People sometimes credit Ray Kroc because he led McDonald’s major business expansion, or Stanley Meston because he designed an influential 1950s restaurant building. Neither was the designer of the 1962 logo itself.
The Golden Arches became one of the most recognizable marks in global branding. McDonald’s later adjusted surrounding typography and applications, but the paired-arch symbol remained the central visual shorthand for the company.