Who designed the 1962 McDonald's logo that turned two arches into an “M”?

Jim Schindler designed the 1962 McDonald's logo that turned two arches into an “M.”

The design built on the golden arches used in McDonald's restaurant architecture. Schindler combined the two separate arch shapes into a single emblem that could function as a corporate symbol on signs, packaging, and advertising. This was a major branding step because the mark no longer depended on seeing the complete restaurant building.

People often attribute every stage of the arches' history to one designer, but the architectural arches and the later logo had different origins. Stanley Meston designed the original restaurant arches, while Schindler created the recognizable “M” arrangement used as the corporate logo.

The logo's simple geometry made it unusually effective at small and large sizes. Over time, the Golden Arches became one of the world's most recognizable commercial symbols, even when the restaurant name was not displayed beside it.