Who designed the combined Golden Arches emblem that became McDonald’s logo in 1962?

Jim Schindler designed McDonald’s combined Golden Arches emblem in 1962.

The design grew from the physical arches that had appeared on McDonald’s restaurant buildings during the 1950s. Those structures were designed by architect Stanley Clark Meston, but the later graphic emblem was a separate design task. Schindler combined the two arches into the familiar M-shaped mark.

The emblem helped McDonald’s move from a collection of recognizable restaurant buildings toward a consistent national and international visual identity. Its simple shape made it effective on signs, packaging, advertisements, and restaurant facades.

Ray Kroc is often associated with McDonald’s branding because he expanded the company through franchising, but he was not the designer of the 1962 emblem. Stanley Clark Meston designed the earlier architectural arches, while Schindler created the graphic form that became the enduring corporate symbol.