Underline Studio

For Dawn is a powerful short film set in Tehran during the 2022 protests, following three teenage girls fighting for freedom and women’s rights. When one act of defiance turns tragic, the cost of resistance becomes painfully clear.

The film’s typography draws from the visual language of protest, using spray-painted Persian script that echoes the girls’ own graffiti. By obscuring Mahtab’s eyes with type, it reflects how women’s identities are suppressed in Iran while still preserving her strength. Bold and raw, the design becomes an act of resistance in itself and amplifies the story’s urgency and emotion.

For Dawn has received the Haebler Award and an Honorable Mention for Best Canadian Short at

In solidarity with the people of Iran, now and always.

Client: Setareh Saleh, Director and Writer
Creative Directors: Claire Dawson, Fidel Peña
Designer: Yas Fakhr

Underline partnered with Goodside & Co., a Toronto-based executive and staff photography service, to launch its new brand and website. Goodside & Co. believes corporate imagery should be dynamic, unique, and as distinctive as the people it represents. Underline developed a cohesive brand system that highlights the individual attention brought to each project. The brand expression extends across multiple touchpoints, including the website, collateral, and social media platforms.

Client: Goodside & Co
Photography: Daniel Ehrenworth
Creative Directors: Fidel Peña, Claire Dawson
Designer: Nathan Leung

New work, Internment Stamp. Canada Post commissioned us to design a stamp exploring the history of civilian internment in Canada, in which many thousands of civilians were unjustly interned in camps across the country during both world wars – and even peacetime. The design hopes to raise awareness about this history and the resilience of the people and communities whose lives were profoundly affected by this forced displacement, confinement and hardship.
See full case study in our website.
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Client: Canada Post
Print: Colour Innovations
Underline team:
Creative directors: Claire Dawson, Fidel Peña
Designer: Fidel Peña
Photography and project photography: Paul Weeks