Who designed the joined Golden Arches logo that forms McDonald's familiar “M”?

Jim Schindler designed the joined Golden Arches logo that forms McDonald's familiar “M.”

The early arches were separate architectural elements placed on opposite sides of McDonald's restaurant buildings. In 1962, McDonald's designer Jim Schindler combined the shapes into a unified emblem that could work as a corporate mark beyond the buildings themselves.

The joined arches made the symbol easier to reproduce on packaging, signs, advertisements, and other brand materials. This helped McDonald's build a consistent identity as the company expanded across regions and countries.

The arches' shape is often described simply as a large yellow M, but its history is more specific. It evolved from restaurant architecture into a graphic logo, which is why the emblem carries both a literal letter shape and a memory of the original buildings.