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Xiaomi unveiled a restrained visual-identity redesign on March 30, 2021. The most noticeable change was the replacement of its right-angled orange “Mi” logo container with a rounded superellipse. The project also refreshed Xiaomi’s wordmark, typography, spacing, color applications and wider brand system under the concept “Alive.”
Xiaomi unveiled a restrained visual-identity redesign on March 30, 2021. The most noticeable change was the replacement of its familiar right-angled orange “Mi” logo container with a rounded superellipse—an intermediate shape between a square and a circle. The redesign also covered the Xiaomi wordmark, typography, spacing, color applications and the way the identity could work across products, interfaces, retail spaces and digital media.
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The company presented the system under the concept “Alive.” Its purpose was not to abandon Xiaomi’s recognizable identity, but to make a mature, globally established technology brand feel more fluid, human and adaptable as it entered its second decade.
What changed in Xiaomi’s 2021 identity?
| Element | Change |
|---|---|
| Mi symbol | The sharp-cornered square became a rounded superellipse, while the orange symbol remained recognizable. |
| Wordmark | The lowercase “xiaomi” treatment was refreshed, with adjustments to typography, proportions and spacing. |
| Color | Orange remained the core brand color, supplemented by black and silver for technology-focused and premium applications. |
| Applications | The identity was designed as a flexible system for hardware, software interfaces, retail environments and other digital or physical contexts. |
| Brand concept | The broader identity was organized around “Alive,” linking technology to people and human experience. |
This is why describing the event simply as “Xiaomi rounded its logo” misses much of the work. The silhouette was the easiest part to notice, but the redesign was intended to coordinate the mark with typography, color specifications, layout and motion or application rules across Xiaomi’s growing ecosystem.
The new logo was a superellipse, not a circle
The central geometric decision was to soften the original square without turning the Mi symbol into a circular badge. Designer Kenya Hara described the superellipse as a form between a square and a circle. In practical terms, it retains the visual stability and compactness of a square while introducing the softer, more approachable quality associated with rounded forms.
That distinction matters. The new outer contour was not a perfect circle, and calling it one incorrectly suggests a more radical redesign than Xiaomi actually made. The new shape preserved the logo’s familiar proportions and recognition cues while reducing the rigid, right-angled character of the previous version.
Hara, who was associated with the project, is a Japanese designer, professor at Musashino Art University and chairman of the Nippon Design Center. His explanation treated the geometry as part of a broader philosophy rather than as a decorative corner-radius adjustment.
What “Alive” meant
Xiaomi’s “Alive” concept connected the visual changes to the company’s view of technology. The stated reasoning was that technology is created by people, people are alive, and technology should therefore feel human-oriented and alive rather than cold or rigid.
The concept helped explain several design choices at once:
- Rounded geometry: a softer shape could suggest approachability and movement.
- Flexible applications: the identity could adapt to different products, screens and environments instead of appearing as a fixed stamp.
- Human emphasis: the system placed Xiaomi’s relationship with users above purely mechanical or technical symbolism.
- Brand maturity: the company could evolve without discarding the recognition accumulated over its first decade.
The concept was philosophical as well as visual. It was intended to support Xiaomi’s transition from a younger technology challenger toward a more mature company with broader global and premium-market ambitions.
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Why did Xiaomi change so little?
The redesign’s limited visual distance from the previous logo immediately attracted criticism. Some observers considered the result underwhelming because the basic orange Mi symbol remained almost entirely intact. Contemporary reporting described the response as a reaction to the large reported fee for what appeared to be a minor change.
That criticism and Xiaomi’s design logic are not mutually exclusive. A widely recognized brand has something to lose by making a dramatic change. Replacing the symbol outright could weaken recognition on phones, packaging, apps, stores and third-party references. A controlled evolution preserves accumulated familiarity while allowing the system around the mark to become more coherent.
In other words, the redesign’s success was not supposed to be judged only by comparing the old and new silhouettes side by side. The less obvious work involved typography, spacing, color use and adaptation across contexts. A logo that looks almost unchanged in isolation can still behave differently within a complete identity system.
Timeline and reported cost
The identity was announced at Xiaomi’s Spring New Product Launch on March 30, 2021. Xiaomi’s 2021 interim report later described the work as an upgraded brand identity that included a new logo and marked the beginning of a refreshed image for the company’s next decade. Xiaomi’s interim report confirms the March 2021 identity launch and its strategic significance.
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Typography: a refreshed treatment, not automatically MiSans
Reports about the 2021 launch referred to new typography or a new font treatment alongside the logo. The safer interpretation is that Xiaomi refreshed the typographic direction of its identity, including the lowercase wordmark and its spacing and proportions.
It is not accurate, based on the available evidence, to state that the 2021 corporate wordmark definitely used the same typeface as MiSans. Xiaomi’s later font materials identify MiSans as a font family used in the HyperOS system and document a large language and writing-system expansion. Xiaomi says the global customization project covers more than 600 languages, more than 100,000 glyphs and more than 20 writing systems. Those specifications belong to the later MiSans materials, not necessarily to the 2021 logo wordmark.
You can read Xiaomi’s current MiSans overview for the documented language coverage and its font download and license information. The license materials also distinguish between using works created with the font and redistributing the font software itself, so anyone considering MiSans for commercial work should check the current terms rather than assuming that a downloadable font is unrestricted.
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Orange, black and silver
Orange remained Xiaomi’s signature color and the primary visual link to the existing brand. The redesigned system also expanded the role of black and silver, particularly in contexts where Xiaomi wanted a more technical or premium expression.
This broader palette gave the identity more range. Orange can provide immediate recognition and energy, while black and silver can sit more comfortably beside high-end hardware, dark interfaces, metallic finishes or restrained product photography. The colors were therefore not simply alternatives to the orange logo; they helped the identity work across different levels of emphasis.
A brand-ecosystem redesign
The 2021 project is best understood as a coordinated brand-ecosystem exercise. The logo, wordmark, type, colors, proportions and applications were intended to operate together rather than as isolated assets.
That distinction is especially important for a company with a wide product and software footprint. Xiaomi’s identity may appear on device bodies, packaging, retail signage, operating-system interfaces, websites, advertising, accessories and partner-facing materials. Each setting imposes different constraints on scale, contrast, material and motion.
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Who designed the identity?
The redesign was associated with Kenya Hara, whose work is known for reducing visual noise and using simple forms, materials and spatial relationships to create a broader design language. In Xiaomi’s case, the superellipse provided a concise visual expression for the intended shift from rigid geometry toward a more fluid identity.
However, the project should not be reduced to the contribution of one famous designer. A complete corporate identity also requires typographic development, color specifications, usage rules, digital implementation and rollout across many teams and surfaces. The logo is the public-facing symbol of that system, not a complete description of every production decision behind it.
What the redesign says about Xiaomi’s strategy
Xiaomi launched the redesign about a decade after its founding. Its interim report framed the upgraded identity as support for a new journey and for stronger global brand awareness. Secondary coverage connected the change with Xiaomi’s effort to reinforce its premium positioning.
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The strategy was therefore one of continuity with elevation:
- Keep recognition: retain the orange Mi symbol and its established visual equity.
- Remove unnecessary rigidity: soften the square into a superellipse.
- Improve system behavior: coordinate typography, spacing and color across applications.
- Support premium contexts: introduce black and silver treatments alongside orange.
- Humanize the technology story: express the “Alive” concept through a more adaptive identity.
This approach is less dramatic than replacing a logo, but it can be strategically appropriate for a large technology company. The accumulated value of a recognizable mark often makes careful refinement more useful than visual novelty.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A useful lesson for painters and visual designers
Xiaomi’s redesign illustrates a general principle of visual communication: a small geometric change can have a larger effect when it is supported by a complete system.
For a painter or visual artist, the relevant lesson is not to copy the superellipse or the orange palette. It is to consider how a recurring visual language behaves across different conditions:
- Does a shape remain recognizable when scaled down?
- Do softened or sharpened edges change the emotional temperature of the work?
- Can the same color function in both a dominant and a supporting role?
- Does spacing create clarity, tension or premium restraint?
- Can a visual motif adapt without losing its identity?
The Xiaomi case also shows why “simple” does not necessarily mean “quick.” A minimal mark may require extensive testing across materials, screens, packaging, signage and international markets. The visible result can be deliberately quiet even when the identity system behind it is complex.
Frequently asked questions
When did Xiaomi unveil the new logo?
Xiaomi announced the upgraded identity on March 30, 2021, during its Spring New Product Launch event.
Did Xiaomi change the Mi logo into a circle?
No. The square outer form was replaced by a rounded superellipse, a shape between a square and a circle. The orange Mi symbol remained recognizable.
How much did the redesign cost?
Contemporary reports said it cost RMB 2 million and took about three years, but Xiaomi did not confirm that fee in the cited corporate filing. The cost should therefore be described as reported, not as an established company-confirmed fact.
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- ✅【Heat Dissipation】 ：The top of the laptop stand is designed with multiple ventilation holes. The open design offers greater ventilation and more airflow to cool your laptop during operation other than it just lays flat on the table.
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Was the 2021 logo designed in MiSans?
The available sources support a refreshed typographic direction, but they do not prove that the 2021 corporate wordmark and the later MiSans system font are identical. MiSans is documented separately in Xiaomi’s later HyperOS font materials.
What was the idea behind the redesign?
Xiaomi called the broader identity “Alive.” The concept connected the rounded, adaptable visual system with the idea that technology is created by people and should feel human-oriented.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Xiaomi unveil its new visual identity?
Xiaomi announced the upgraded visual identity on March 30, 2021, during its Spring New Product Launch event.
Did Xiaomi change the Mi logo into a circle?
No. The new outer form is a rounded superellipse—between a square and a circle—not a perfect circle.
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How much did Xiaomi’s logo redesign cost?
Reports said the project took about three years and cost RMB 2 million, but Xiaomi’s cited interim report confirms the launch rather than the reported fee. The cost should be identified as reported, not company-confirmed.
Was Xiaomi’s 2021 wordmark set in MiSans?
The available evidence documents refreshed typography in 2021 and MiSans in later HyperOS font materials, but does not establish that the 2021 corporate wordmark and MiSans are identical.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: Xiaomi’s 2021 redesign was a careful identity upgrade, not a wholesale logo replacement. The rounded superellipse made the Mi mark softer, while typography, spacing, color and flexible applications carried much of the broader “Alive” strategy.
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