In Focus: Louis Meeus of Bureau DAM
Louis Meeus has spent much of his life moving around. From Brussels to Lima, London, Biarritz and now Lisbon. While the places have changed, it’s the people he’s met along the way that have had the biggest influence on his work.
Today, Louis runs the independent design studio Bureau DAM from Lisbon. After years of working with clients and spending most of his time behind a screen, he’s thinking more about what comes next. Making time for his own projects, using design as a tool to build something of his own and creating a place in the Portuguese countryside where artists and creatives can come together.
We spoke with Louis about his approach to design, finding community in Lisbon and building a life that leaves more room for the things he wants to make.
Photography by Christian Starkey
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Christian: Tell us a bit about your studio, work and your approach to design. Where do you find inspiration, and how do you build a visual identity that feels unique to a client? Is your process more about following a specific structure, or do you rely mostly on your creative instinct?
Louis: Bureau DAM is a small independent studio that I started with my friend Patrick Downie back in September 2021. The name DAM actually comes from our surnames, Downie and Meeus, but since moving to Lisbon, I’ve been running the studio alone. Our work mainly focuses on identity and digital projects across architecture, art, culture and fashion. Still, we’ve always stayed open to different kinds of projects when there is shared curiosity and a willingness to explore new possibilities. What matters most is collaborating with people we resonate with creatively.
The process is honestly pretty chaotic. I don’t really follow a super rigid methodology. Every project starts with research and understanding the client, the content, and what makes them different. Sometimes, a very small detail can become the foundation for an entire identity or interface. This leads to a lot of experimentation and testing, which gradually turns into a 'graphic system.' I always try to question why things are designed or structured a certain way, especially in digital design where so many conventions are accepted without really being challenged. The goal is always to find the right balance between creating something unexpected while still keeping it clean and FUNctional.
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C: What’s on the horizon for Bureau DAM? Are there any new mediums or types of projects you’re excited to dive into that you haven’t explored yet?
L: Honestly, personal projects are what have really been lacking. Managing the studio alone, it’s very easy to get stuck in a constant loop between calls, management and the design work itself. When you’re working on multiple projects at once, the management side can almost take more space than the creative part and naturally, your own projects always end up coming last. And when I finally do find some time, I’d much rather be outdoors than behind a screen.
So yeah, right now I’m at a point where many long-running projects are slowly wrapping up, and I finally feel like I can see the next steps for Bureau DAM more clearly. Over time I’ve realized that after moving from having a boss to becoming my own boss, the next natural step would be becoming my own client, using graphic design less as a service and more as a tool for myself. I’ve always wanted to create a brand, and that’s something I’m working on at the moment - more news soon! I’m also rebuilding a rural house from the '80s with my partner Catarina Monteiro to create a residency program for artists and creatives. -
C: You’ve spent a lot of time in Brussels, Lima, London, and Biarritz before landing in Lisbon. Do you feel like those different environments have changed your style over the years? Does the work you do now feel different because of the move?
L: In terms of work, I don’t think the places I’ve lived have influenced my style as much as the people I’ve met. Moving around and living in places like New York, Lima, London, Biarritz, or Lisbon pushes you out of your comfort zone and the bubble you grew up in, helping you connect with people who share similar interests. When I was younger, I was very drawn to big cities where it felt like everything was happening. I wanted to work in big studios and be surrounded by cultural events. Back then, it almost felt like you had to be in places like London, New York or Amsterdam to really be part of the industry. But over time, that changed a lot. I think Covid really accelerated that shift as well. The moment remote work became possible, I immediately moved to Portugal. I realised I was becoming much more drawn to nature, a slower lifestyle... and a good tasca.
Lisbon, Portugal
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C: You’ve been in Lisbon for three-four years now. What is it about the lifestyle or the creative community here that made you want to plant roots and start a long-term project like the residency?
L: I’ve actually been coming to Lisbon for almost 15 years, so I’ve always felt very connected to the city, the Portuguese people, and the culture, even if sadly that original Lisbon spirit is slowly being pushed out of the city center. But yeah there’s something very unique about Lisbon, the fact that you can escape the city and find yourself in nature or be by the ocean within just 15 minutes is quite special. Lisbon is also small enough that you quickly meet people and the cultural scene is very rich, with many collectives, associations, and independent spaces that make the city feel vibrant and alive culturally. Running Bureau DAM from Portugal has also been super easy because I’ve met and collaborated with amazing freelance developers and designers around Lisbon and Porto who have contributed a lot to what the studio is today.
I recently moved to Desvio in Arroios, an old armazém with high ceilings where we share a space with some very talented Portuguese designers and friends - Pedro da Mata, Beatriz Coias from Cash & Carry, David Rindlisbacher, Elise Rigollet and even a live radio station, Rádio Paranóia, where I have a monthly show. It’s a really nice place to work from, surrounded by designers but also writers, developers and friends.
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C: You’re currently setting up an art residency in Zona Oeste. After focusing on graphic design in the city for so long, what was it that drew you toward a more rural, physical project like this?
L: For me, change is really important and over time I started wanting to spend less time behind a screen. Whenever I get free time, I’m usually drawn towards the countryside and the ocean, so creating something more physical / IRL started feeling very natural. At some point I just asked myself, "If that’s where I always want to be, why not try to build something there?'' My partner and I had been looking for a place, and we quickly aligned on the idea of creating a shared space that could function both as our home and as a creative project. We like the idea of building a place where people can work on projects, exchange ideas, slow down and disconnect from city life for a moment. The location is really nice, it’s only about an hour from Lisbon and 15 minutes from the beach, so it still feels connected while being completely surrounded by nature. The house itself is a lovely 80s building with a lot of countryside charm and personality. There’s a huge amount of work to do though, so this is definitely still a long-term project. Realistically, it probably won’t be fully ready until the end of 2027.
I think a lot of it comes down to trying to build projects and a way of working that feels more sustainable creatively and personally. After years of constantly moving, freelancing and working online all the time, I’ve realised I’m now more interested in creating things that feel long term, physical and connected to real people and real places. Bureau DAM will always stay rooted in graphic design, but I think the definition of what the studio is will naturally keep evolving over time. And honestly, that’s what feels exciting at the moment.
