Who designed the Golden Arches used in McDonald’s first major architectural rebrand?

Architect Stanley Clark Meston designed the Golden Arches used in McDonald’s early architectural rebrand.

Meston worked with architectural draftsman Charles Fish to develop the distinctive roadside restaurant design used by McDonald’s in the 1950s. The buildings featured two large yellow arches at opposite sides of the structure, making the restaurants visible from passing traffic.

The arches began as physical architectural elements rather than a purely graphic logo. Their shape was inspired partly by the dramatic roofline and visual features of the restaurant buildings. As McDonald’s expanded, the arches became a recognizable symbol even when the buildings themselves changed.

Jim Schindler later created the familiar interlocking “M” logo in 1962, which is why these two names are sometimes confused. Meston designed the architectural arches; Schindler adapted the idea into the enduring corporate symbol.