Mioto new logo, visual identity, and digital design X NAR8

Founded in 2017, Mioto has become a significant player in Vietnam's on-demand transportation market. The company's model digitally connects car owners and renters, disrupting traditional vehicle rental processes. Over the past five years, Mioto has grown from early stage startup into a well-established business, encountering numerous challenges along the way. Two major hurdles were improving the user experience and the brand's visual appeal to maintain and expand their market share. In response, Mioto partnered with NAR8 Studio for an extensive rebranding process in 2023. This new identity aimed to reinforce the company's mission, refine its digital experience, and elevate its visual appeal, creating a more vibrant and compelling brand experience to propel further market expansion.

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Mioto, which sounds like "My Auto," is a growing startup in Vietnam's sharing economy that has quickly become popular for its commitment to convenience, safety, and cost-effectiveness. During its initial stages, like many startups, Mioto focused on perfecting its product and expanding operationally while investing less in other areas like branding. However, as Mioto began to evolve, the importance of a distinctive and appealing brand identity became evident. More than just a logo or a tagline, this identity is an integral part of Mioto's communication strategy, visually and emotionally connecting the brand to its customers.

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Tech startups like Mioto often go through several rebranding phases, as seen with Uber and Grab, striving to align their evolving identity with customer perception. While rebranding can reenergize a company, it's also complex and resource-intensive. Aware of this, Mioto, having already undergone a rebranding in 2019, sought a professional approach for their second rebranding. They chose NAR8, a professional design studio with a reputation for creating successful and unique brand identities, to guide them through this transformation.

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The new visual identity of Mioto is an elevated version of its predecessor, incorporating the best elements of the old and infusing them with new, dynamic components. The refresh aimed to create a strong, lasting brand image that, while not entirely different from the old one, introduced a higher level of sophistication and consistency in design elements, colors, shapes, and typography. This approach was intended to enhance the visual system, a critical aspect for the sustainability and lifespan of any identity. This new visual system takes its cues from the fluid dynamics of cars' windows, a nod to Mioto's core mission of facilitating car rentals. By doing so, Mioto provides users with the means to explore various landscapes and experience the world from a fresh perspective - through the windows of a car. This distinct visual motif is notably manifested in the design of Mioto's new logo, making the brand's mission readily apparent.

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Instead of the old stylized wordmark, which was not suitable for an app icon, a stylized 'M' icon was introduced. This icon, uniquely crafted by combining two abstract shapes inspired by car windows, aligns seamlessly with Mioto's visual system. They also introduced a cleaner, more refined wordmark for the brand name. The two versions, the standalone 'M' icon and the combined icon-wordmark, bring greater flexibility with application across various channels. This adaptability further reinforces the brand's visual identity, ensuring its effective fit in diverse digital and print contexts.

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Color and typography, significant aspects of any brand identity, saw a thoughtful evolution rather than a complete overhaul. The palette retained the eye-catching emerald green, a hue that signals innovation and modernity. This bright tone of light green sets the brand apart in a crowded digital landscape. The typography transitioned from the previous sans-serif font to Gilroy, a typeface that delivers a cleaner and more streamlined look to the brand's image.

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One other noticeable changes in the new identity was the introduction of a new, personalized style of illustration. Unlike the previous identity, where the illustrations lacked a distinctive style and overall consistency, the newly introduced illustrations add a unique touch to the brand. This set of customized illustrations significantly enhances the user experience, helping guide users more effectively.

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Overall, the key focus of this rebranding was not about bringing in new design elements but about refining and enhancing how existing elements were used. This subtle yet impactful change is evident in the harmonious relationship between shapes, logos, colors, typography, and illustrations. The design components now work together in a more professionally coordinated manner, establishing a more cohesive and balanced identity. This subtle but effective approach underscores the importance of strategic implementation over simple element introduction.

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NAR8 ensured that the rebranding extended seamlessly to the digital realm. Mioto's new visual identity was meticulously strategized to improve user engagement and experience, going beyond just a change in visuals. A cleaner layout and intuitive interfaces were introduced, aligning with the brand's new visual elements and resulting in a harmonized and engaging brand experience across all platforms. The transformation of the web and app interfaces is integral to Mioto's overall business strategy. The refreshed design truly captures Mioto's core essence, emphasizing their commitment to delivering superior digital experiences for users through their platforms.

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All in all, the rebranding of Mioto, led by NAR8, serves as a testament to the power of aligning a brand's visual elements with its core mission, all while improving user experience. By evolving rather than revolutionizing their visual identity, Mioto has managed to create a fresh, yet familiar brand experience that stays true to its roots.

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Credits:
Project Team: Trung Nguyen | Quynh Doan | Tri Thong | Huy Nguyen | Thinh Nguyen | Huy Vo | Quang Phan | Ngoc Tran | Thong Nguyen | Nhi Nguyen