Jim Schindler designed the modern Golden Arches logo introduced for McDonald's in the early 1960s.
The logo developed from the physical arches used in McDonald's restaurant architecture. Architect Stanley Meston designed the original restaurant buildings with two yellow arches, one on each side of the structure. In 1962, McDonald's design consultant Jim Schindler combined the two arches into the stylized M-shaped mark associated with the company.
That history explains a common mix-up: Meston designed the architectural arches, while Schindler created the combined corporate symbol. Ray Kroc was the businessman who expanded McDonald's franchising, not the logo designer.
The Golden Arches became more than a sign for an individual restaurant. They became a portable corporate mark used in packaging, advertising, uniforms, and international locations. The logo has been simplified and presented in different layouts over time, but its basic M-shaped form remains one of the most recognizable marks in commercial branding.