Who designed McDonald’s Golden Arches in 1952?

Stanley Clark Meston designed McDonald’s Golden Arches in 1952.

Meston was an architect working with McDonald’s franchisee Richard Fraser. The early restaurant design used two large yellow arches on opposite sides of the building, making the restaurants visible from the road and giving them a distinctive identity.

The arches were originally architectural features rather than a standalone logo. Their bright yellow color and curved shape became increasingly associated with McDonald’s as the company expanded. In 1962, the arches were combined into the familiar stylized “M” logo.

A common mix-up is attributing the arches’ design to Ray Kroc or the McDonald brothers. Kroc drove the company’s major expansion, while the brothers founded the original restaurant system; Meston created the distinctive building elements.