Who designed the Golden Arches that became McDonald's recognizable logo in 1962?

Jim Schindler designed the Golden Arches logo that became McDonald's recognizable mark in 1962.

Schindler was McDonald's head of construction and engineering. He combined the two yellow arches used in the restaurant buildings into a stylized letter M, creating a symbol that could identify the brand even without its name.

The arches originally had a practical architectural role. Restaurant designer Stanley Clark Meston developed the golden-arch building concept in the 1950s, with the arches visible from passing traffic. Schindler's logo turned that architectural feature into a compact corporate identity.

The logo later changed in shape and presentation, but the golden color and arch form remained central to McDonald's branding. A common mix-up is naming Meston as the logo designer: Meston designed the building arches, while Schindler created the 1962 logo based on them.