Who designed the combined Golden Arches symbol used in McDonald’s 1962 logo?

Jim Schindler designed the combined Golden Arches symbol used in McDonald’s 1962 logo.

The earlier arches were architectural elements designed by Stanley Clark Meston for McDonald’s restaurant buildings. They were placed at the sides of the buildings and were intended to make the restaurants noticeable from the road.

Schindler’s contribution was to merge the two separate arches into a single stylized “M.” That graphic treatment changed the arches from a building feature into a compact trademark suitable for signs, packaging, advertising, and corporate materials.

A common mix-up credits Meston with the entire logo. Meston designed the physical arches, while Schindler created the combined emblem that McDonald’s adopted in 1962. Ray Kroc was the company’s major early businessman and franchising leader, but he was not the logo’s designer.