Underline is a Toronto-based strategic branding and design agency founded in 2005 by Claire Dawson and Fidel Peña. The studio partners with organizations to transform strategy into impactful creative execution, helping brands drive awareness and engagement through design. Recognized as the Advertising and Design Club of Canada’s Design Studio of the Year in 2019, Underline has earned over 500 international awards from Communication Arts, Graphis, D&AD, Laus, and others. Their multidisciplinary team specializes in brand identity, editorial design, digital experiences, and campaign development for clients across culture, technology, retail, and the public sector.
Technologies detected on Underline's website.
Underline Studio designed the third edition of Lines Breaking, a newspaper addressing the Central American migrant crisis through creative responses from the Latin American community. The project uses a black-and-white editorial aesthetic combining serif and sans serif typography to present artistic and intellectual perspectives on the issue.
Underline Studio created a refined brand identity for Drechsel Studio, a new retail showroom and creative space launched by Canadian office furniture company Drechsel. The identity emphasizes simplicity and attention to detail, aligning with the brand’s design-focused ethos.
The Brand Identity features Underline Studio’s brand identity for Toronto-based Halo Brewery. The design uses geometric patterns and bold color combinations to reflect the brewery’s experimental approach to traditional beer styles, applied across packaging and promotional materials.
The Brand Identity interviews Toronto-based Underline Studio, founded by Fidel Peña and Claire Dawson, discussing their philosophy of simplicity, collaboration, and intelligent design. They reflect on projects for clients like Google, YouTube, and the University of Toronto, including the Art Museum identity and Scarborough Town Centre rebrand. The conversation highlights their focus on clarity, custom typography, and meaningful creative partnerships.
Underline Studio developed a new brand identity for the Art Museum at the University of Toronto, uniting two existing galleries under one cohesive visual system. The identity features an angled logo aligned with Toronto’s 16.7-degree street grid, symbolizing the museum’s connection to the city. The design extends across print and digital materials including brochures, posters, and a website.