Unbuttoned Brands is a brand identity design studio run by Emily Lauren Dick, a Canadian brand strategist and designer based in Burlington, Ontario. The business serves values-driven service providers — think therapists, coaches, healers, and creatives — who want branding that actually reflects their personality rather than blending into a sea of lookalike templates. It's a one-woman operation with a clear niche, and that focus shows in how the entire business is positioned, from the website's bold pink aesthetic right down to the copy.

Emily's background is worth noting because it shapes how she approaches branding. She holds a degree in Sociology and Women and Gender Studies, not marketing or graphic design. That academic lens shows up in her work — she treats branding as a question of identity, voice, and connection rather than just picking pretty colors and fonts. She's also a published author who landed a traditional book deal and grew an online community of nearly eight thousand people before transitioning into brand strategy full-time. It's an unconventional path into the industry, and in my opinion, that non-traditional entry point is part of what makes her perspective different.

The core offering at Unbuttoned Brands is a Brand Identity Package that bundles brand strategy with visual identity design. On the strategy side, clients get their purpose, mission, vision, value proposition, taglines, brand personality, voice, differentiators, and ideal client profile mapped out. The visual side covers a primary logo, secondary logo, submark, colour palette, font selection with licensing info, and Canva social media templates. Everything gets delivered as vector files — SVGs and PNGs — so they work across print and digital without losing quality. The whole process typically takes two to five weeks, depending on how quickly clients provide feedback.

The workflow Emily uses follows a structured but flexible path. It starts with a free discovery call, then moves into a deep-dive questionnaire, followed by what she calls the "Brand Recipe" — essentially the strategy document. From there, she creates two or three moodboards, refines colour palettes, sketches logo concepts in Adobe Illustrator and Fresco on iPad, and hunts down fonts that match the brand's energy. Each stage includes two to three rounds of revisions. It's a process that balances creative intuition with client collaboration, and it reads like someone who's refined the steps through real experience rather than pulling from a textbook.

For clients who aren't sure they need a full rebrand, there's a one-on-one consulting session available at a lower price point. That session lets Emily review an existing brand — messaging, visuals, even Canva files — and pinpoint what's working and what isn't. If the client decides to move forward with the full package afterward, the consulting fee gets credited toward it. It's a low-risk entry point, and honestly, it's the kind of thing more branding studios should offer. Too many businesses push for the full package right away without helping clients figure out what they actually need first.

The website also features a free Brand Vibe Quiz, a blog, and a newsletter — all free resources that let potential clients engage with Emily's approach before spending a dollar. As a reviewer, I find the quiz particularly smart because it gives visitors a taste of the brand strategy process while also helping Emily understand the types of entrepreneurs who are drawn to her work. It doubles as both a marketing tool and a self-selection filter for prospective clients.

Inclusivity is woven into the business in a way that feels genuine rather than performative. The site explicitly welcomes Black, queer, trans, neurodiverse, disabled, and marginalized individuals, and Emily's own openness about being a late-diagnosed AUDHD-er reinforces that this isn't just a statement — it's personal. For service providers from underrepresented backgrounds who may have felt like mainstream branding agencies don't quite get them, this kind of transparent positioning matters.

Unbuttoned Brands also offers Showit website templates as a secondary service line, which extends the studio's reach beyond custom branding work. This gives entrepreneurs who may not be ready for a full custom project a more affordable way to get a professional-looking site that still feels distinct. Between the templates, the consulting sessions, and the full brand identity package, the studio covers multiple price points and commitment levels — a setup that meets clients where they are rather than offering a single take-it-or-leave-it option.

What comes through clearly when browsing the site and the portfolio is a studio with a strong point of view. Emily isn't trying to serve every business under the sun; she's speaking directly to entrepreneurs who feel like their work is personal and want a brand that matches that energy. The colourful portfolio — featuring projects for clients in HR, coaching, animal welfare, and writing — shows range within a consistent philosophy. For service providers tired of cookie-cutter branding, Unbuttoned Brands offers a process that starts with who you are and builds outward from there.

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