Base Design

Base Design is an international creative-services network founded in Brussels in 1993 by Thierry Brunfaut, Dimitri Jeurissen, and Juliette Cavenaile. It began as a graphic-design practice serving cultural and public institutions in Belgium and later developed into a distributed studio group with locations in Brussels, New York City, Geneva, Melbourne, and Ho Chi Minh City. The organization’s work spans visual identity, brand strategy, editorial design, digital products and experiences, environmental communication, campaigns, and broader systems for cultural, commercial, and civic organizations. The company’s international expansion started in 1998 with the creation of BaseNYC. Its later studios included BaseGVA in Geneva, established in 2012, BaseMEL in Melbourne in 2021, and BaseSGN in Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City, in 2025. In 2022, Base formalized its digital practice through BaseDGTL, reflecting the growing importance of websites, digital platforms, motion, and interactive brand systems within its work. Base has worked across museums, foundations, performing-arts organizations, fashion and luxury companies, consumer brands, technology businesses, retailers, sports organizations, media companies, and public-sector institutions. Reported clients and collaborators include Apple, Uniqlo, Uber, Fondation Louis Vuitton, the Museum of Modern Art, The New York Times, KANAL Centre Pompidou, Institut Français de la Mode, Studio Museum in Harlem, La Monnaie, Meatpacking District, La Galerie Dior, Mecca, Suntory, Caudalie, La Prairie, Kit, Bongénie, DoorDash, the Biennale of Sydney, the Art Gallery of South Australia, Caran d’Ache, QoQa, the New York Mets, the Prince Estate, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and JFK Terminal 4. The studio has also pursued activities beyond conventional client commissions. From late 2001 to 2003, it designed and produced BEople, a magazine focused on Belgium. In 2005, Base invested in the global book-distribution company ACTAR and helped form a publishing venture known as BuratPublishing. That venture released its first book in 2009, a monograph of artist Maria Ozawa. In 2007, Base partnered in opening BozarShop, the museum store at the Centre for Fine Arts in Brussels. Base’s work has received recognition from design, advertising, digital, typography, and branding organizations, including the PRINT Awards, D&AD, The One Show, ADC Annual Awards, Webby Awards, Type Directors Club, AIGA 365: Year in Design, Lovie Awards, Awwwards, CSS Design Awards, Transform Awards, AGDA Awards, Creative Belgium Awards, and 100 Beste Plakate. Its digital projects have also appeared on curated design platforms such as siteInspire, Hoverstat.es, Minimal Gallery, and 404 Foundation. The company has been covered by design and business publications including Brand New, It’s Nice That, Creative Review, PRINT Magazine, Creative Boom, Fast Company, AdAge, Forbes, The Brand Identity, Transform Magazine, PAGE Magazin, and Dieline.

Base Design was established in Brussels in 1993 by Thierry Brunfaut, Dimitri Jeurissen, and Juliette Cavenaile. Its early practice focused on graphic design for Belgian cultural and public institutions. Rather than beginning as a conventional advertising network, Base developed from a design and communications culture closely connected to museums, arts organizations, civic bodies, and other institutions that required coherent public identities. The company began internationalizing in 1998 with the opening of BaseNYC in New York City. This expansion created a second major base for the group and helped it work across European and North American cultural and commercial environments. Between late 2001 and 2003, Base also designed and produced BEople, a magazine centered on Belgium. The publication illustrated the studio’s interest in editorial production and cultural storytelling beyond commissioned identity work. In 2005, Base invested in ACTAR, a global book-distribution company, to establish a publishing operation known as BuratPublishing. The venture’s first book, a monograph of artist Maria Ozawa, was published in 2009. Base continued to combine design practice with cultural retail and publishing activity when it partnered to open BozarShop in 2007. The shop served as the museum store of the Centre for Fine Arts in Brussels, now associated with Bozar. Base expanded its studio network again in Geneva in 2012 through BaseGVA. Over time, the group’s work broadened across brand strategy, visual identity, editorial systems, digital design, campaigns, packaging, retail, and environmental communication. Its client list came to include international technology, fashion, luxury, beauty, food and beverage, retail, media, sports, arts, and public-sector organizations. Examples cited in reference material include Apple, Uniqlo, Uber, Fondation Louis Vuitton, MoMA, The New York Times, KANAL Centre Pompidou, La Monnaie, the Studio Museum in Harlem, the Biennale of Sydney, the Art Gallery of South Australia, and JFK Terminal 4. The network continued its geographic expansion with BaseMEL in Melbourne in 2021. In 2022, Base created BaseDGTL to formalize its digital capabilities, reflecting the increasing role of interactive products, websites, motion, and technology-enabled brand systems in contemporary communications. In 2025, Base opened BaseSGN in Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City, adding a Southeast Asian location to the network. Base’s work has been recognized by a broad range of international and regional awards programs, including D&AD, The One Show, ADC, the Webby Awards, the Type Directors Club, AIGA 365, the Lovie Awards, Transform Awards, AGDA, Creative Belgium, and 100 Beste Plakate. Its projects have also been featured by specialist digital-design curators and covered by international design and business media. The available reference material does not provide ownership information, revenue figures, a complete leadership roster, or a detailed account of the group’s current legal structure.

• 2025

  BaseSGN opens in Ho Chi Minh City

  [1]Base Designen.wikipedia.org

  Base opened a Saigon, or Ho Chi Minh City, studio and expanded its international network into Vietnam.

• 2022

  BaseDGTL established

  [1]Base Designen.wikipedia.org

  Base formalized its digital design and interactive work through BaseDGTL.

• 2021

  BaseMEL opens in Melbourne

  [1]Base Designen.wikipedia.org

  The group added a Melbourne studio, extending its presence into Australia.

• 2012

  BaseGVA opens in Geneva

  [1]Base Designen.wikipedia.org

  Base expanded its network to Switzerland with a Geneva studio.

• 2009

  First BuratPublishing book released

  [1]Base Designen.wikipedia.org

  BuratPublishing released its first book, an artist monograph of Maria Ozawa.

• 2007

  BozarShop partnership

  [1]Base Designen.wikipedia.org

  Base partnered in opening BozarShop, the museum store at Brussels’ Centre for Fine Arts.

• 2005

  Investment in ACTAR and creation of a publishing venture

  [1]Base Designen.wikipedia.org

  Base invested in global book distributor ACTAR and helped form BuratPublishing.

• 2001

  BEople magazine project begins

  [1]Base Designen.wikipedia.org

  Base designed and produced BEople, a magazine about Belgium, from late 2001 through 2003.

• 1998

  BaseNYC opens

  [1]Base Designen.wikipedia.org

  Base began its international studio expansion with a New York City location.

• 1993

  Base Design founded in Brussels

  [1]Base Designen.wikipedia.org

  Thierry Brunfaut, Dimitri Jeurissen, and Juliette Cavenaile founded Base as a graphic-design practice serving cultural and public institutions in Belgium.

An internationally distributed, design-led creative network working at the intersection of culture, commerce, and public communication. Base Design is positioned around strategic identity work, distinctive visual systems, and multidisciplinary execution across physical and digital channels.

• Branding and visual identity

  Brand identity systems

  Base develops strategic and visual identity systems for cultural institutions, public bodies, commercial companies, and international organizations. These systems can include naming support, positioning expression, logos, typography, color, image direction, guidelines, and applications across print, spatial, and digital touchpoints.

• Digital design · 2022

  Digital design and experiences

  Through its broader studio network and BaseDGTL, Base works on websites, digital platforms, interactive experiences, motion, and digitally enabled brand systems. The digital practice extends identity principles into interfaces and online services rather than treating digital output as a separate communications channel.

• Editorial design

  Editorial and publishing design

  Editorial work includes magazines, books, cultural publications, and related communication materials. The BEople magazine and BuratPublishing initiative demonstrate Base’s involvement in publication development in addition to client-service design.

• Cultural communications · 1993

  Cultural and institutional communications

  A major part of Base’s practice is communication for museums, foundations, galleries, festivals, performing-arts organizations, and public institutions. Projects typically combine identity, campaign, editorial, exhibition, environmental, and digital applications to make institutions more legible and distinctive to their audiences.

• 2022

  Formalization of the digital practiceStrategy

  Background

  Digital products and interactive communications had become an increasingly important part of brand and design work.

  Action taken

  Base established BaseDGTL to formalize the group’s digital work.

  Aftermath

  The move gave the international network a distinct structure for digital design and interactive projects.

  Source

• 2007

  Expansion into museum retailStrategy

  Background

  Base continued developing activities connected to cultural institutions and public-facing design.

  Action taken

  The group partnered to open BozarShop at the Centre for Fine Arts in Brussels.

  Aftermath

  BozarShop became the museum store associated with the Centre for Fine Arts. The available source does not provide later operating details.

  Source

• 2005

  Move into publishing through ACTAR investmentStrategy

  Background

  Base sought to extend its design and cultural activity beyond commissioned studio work.

  Action taken

  The group invested in global book-distribution company ACTAR and formed the publishing venture BuratPublishing.

  Aftermath

  BuratPublishing released its first book in 2009. No financial results or subsequent ownership details are provided in the reference material.

  Source

1. 1Base Designen.wikipedia.org