Royal Designers for Industry explained
Royal Designer for Industry is a distinction established by the British Royal Society of Arts (RSA) in 1936, to encourage a high standard of industrial design and enhance the status of designers. It is awarded to people who have achieved "sustained excellence in aesthetic and efficient design for industry". Those who are British citizens take the letters RDI after their names, while those who are not become Honorary RDIs (HonRDI). Everyone who holds the distinction is a Member of The Faculty of Royal Designers for Industry (founded in 1938).
Their work is diverse, ranging from fashion to engineering, theatre to product design, graphics to environmental design.
New RDIs are elected annually and the Faculty continues to support initiatives to further excellence in design, including an annual Summer School for innovative young designers.
Only 200 designers may hold the distinction RDI at any time and it is regarded as the highest honour to be obtained in the United Kingdom in a diverse range of design disciplines including the field of industrial design. In addition, the RSA may confer HonRDI titles up to a maximum of half the number of people who currently hold the distinction RDI.
New RDIs are awarded Diplomas each year at the annual RDI Dinner. Every two years a new Master of the Faculty is elected by the past Masters, who include Dinah Casson, Mike Dempsey, Sir Kenneth Grange, Geoffrey Harcourt, Martin Hunt, Timothy O’Brien, Chris Wise, Malcolm Garrett and Tristram Carfrae. The current Master is Mark Major.
Current members
The list identifies current RDIs, the date of their award, and the category of design for which they were honoured.
RDIs
| Name[1] | Category | Year |
|---|
| Furniture design | 2002 |
| Illustration and design | 1980 |
| OBE | Furniture design | 2007 |
| Engineering design | 1995 |
| Costume design | 2022 |
| Environmental design | 2010 |
| Interaction design | 2009 |
| Graphic design | 1983 |
| CBE | Graphic design | 1981 |
| CBE | Illustration | 1987 |
| MBE | Costume and set design | 2005 |
| Graphic design | 2011 |
| Architectural design | 2017 |
| Graphic design | 2002 |
| Product design | 1998 |
| Set & costume design | 2013 |
| OBE | Graphic design | 2011 |
| Product design | 1981 |
| Engineering design | 2006 |
| Engineering design | 2004 |
| Engineering design | 2006 |
| CBE | Product design | 1974 |
| Type design | 1981 |
| Graphic design | 2013 |
| Furniture design | 1971 |
| Interior design | 2005 |
| Fashion Design | 2013 |
| CBE | Interior design | 2006 |
| Production design | 2009 |
| Production design | 2009 |
| Architecture | 2010 |
| Product/Furniture Design | 2018 |
| OBE | Film production design | 2004 |
| Textile design | 2006 |
| Theatre and film design | 1997 |
| Graphic design | 1994 |
| Illustration | 2018 |
| OBE | Theatre design | 2018 |
| TV and theatre design | 1975 |
| Theatre design | 1988 |
| CBE | Engineering design | 2005 |
| Textile design | 1984 |
| Designing with sound | 2012 |
| Graphic design | 2001 |
| Graphic design | 2009 |
| Graphic design | 1974 |
| Illustration | 1985 |
| Futures Design | 2021 |
| , Baron Foster of Thames Bank | Interior design | 1988 |
| Textile design | 1998 |
| CBE | Fashion design | 2002 |
| MBE | New media | 2000 |
| Engineering design | 2007 |
| Stamps | 1970 |
| CBE | General design | 1969 |
| Landscape design | 2012 |
| Graphic Design | 2014 |
| OBE | Exhibitions | 1974 |
| Furniture design | 1978 |
| Graphic design | 2005 |
| TV Production design | 1990 |
| Engineering design | 1993 |
| General design | 2004 |
| Production design | 2008 |
| Interior design | 2009 |
| Graphic design | 1997 |
| Furniture design | 2004 |
| Graphic design | 2005 |
| Fashion design | 2007 |
| Theatre design | 1999 |
| Fashion design | 2009 |
| Ceramics and glass | 1981 |
| Engineering design | 2005 |
| Exhibitions & museum design | 1964 |
| KBE | Product design | 2003 |
| Fashion design | 1988 |
| Interior design | 1991 |
| Textile design | 1989 |
| OBE | Millinery | 2009 |
| Interior design | 2007 |
| Product design | 1990 |
| Textile design | 2008 |
| Furniture design | 1990 |
| Engineering design | 2001 |
| Graphic design/typography | 1994 |
| TV graphics | 1987 |
| Graphic design and caricature | 1999 |
| Theatre design | 2003 |
| Boat design | 1987 |
| Ceramics & glass | 1995 |
| Product design | 1995 |
| Production design | 2008 |
| Film and TV graphics | 1982 |
| Product design | 2003 |
| Book design | 1973 |
| Structural engineering design | 2004 |
| Designing with light | 2012 |
| Interior design | 2005 |
| Graphic design | 2004 |
| Graphic design | 1987 |
| Theatre design | 2004 |
| Production design | 2006 |
| CBE | Engineering design | 1989 |
| Naval architecture | 1986 |
| Illustration | 2013 |
| CBE | Furniture design | 2001 |
| Small craft naval | 1995 |
| Communication design | 2017 |
| Theatre & film design | 1996 |
| CBE | General design | 2006 |
| Theatre design | 1991 |
| OBE | Furniture design | 2007 |
| CBE | Animation | 2006 |
| Engineering design | 2012 |
| Interior design | 2005 |
| OBE | Engineering design | 2006 |
| Landscape design | 2012 |
| Product design | 2008 |
| Costume design | 1999 |
| Costume design | 2013 |
| OBE | Dress design | 1969 |
| CBE | Jewellery design | 1999 |
| Engineering design | 1994 |
| Textile design | 2011 |
| Information design | 2017 |
| DBE | Fashion and textiles | 1976 |
| Engineering design | 1997 |
| Product design | 1999 |
| Illustration | 1989 |
| CBE | Graphic design | 2011 |
| CBE | Illustration | 1989 |
| OBE | Graphic design | 2006 |
| CBE | Fashion design | 1978 |
| Interior design | 2005 |
| Service design | 2018 |
| RIBA | Product design | 1986 |
| Textile design | 1995 |
| Film and TV design | 1998 |
| Interaction design | 2007 |
| Jewellery design | 2010 |
| DBE | Fashion design | 2001 |
| Engineering design | 1995 |
| Architecture | 2012 |
| Landscape design | 2009 |
| Interior design | 2009 |
| Structural engineering | 1998 |
| Graphic design | 2011 |
| Furniture design | 2003 |
| Designing with light | 2013 |
| OBE | Engineering design | 2013 | |
HonRDIs
| Name[2] | Category | Year |
|---|
| Textile design | 1987 |
| Graphic design | 2000 |
| General design | 1991 |
| Shoe design | 2001 |
| General design | 2008 |
| Glass design | 2008 |
| Graphic design | 1991 |
| Graphic design | 2005 |
| General design | 2007 |
| Film and TV graphics | 2001 |
| Graphic design | 1998 |
| Design forecasting | 2013 |
| Product design | 2013 |
| Furniture design | 1987 |
| Illustration | 2006 |
| Theatre and film design | 1992 |
| Product design | 2007 |
| Graphic design | 2006 |
| Furniture design | 2009 |
| Interaction design | 2012 |
| Landscape and gardens | 2001 |
| Illustration | 1968 |
| Product design | 2004 |
| Interaction design | 2012 |
| Product design | 2023 |
| Fashion design | 2001 |
| Furniture | 1979 |
| Furniture design | 2002 |
| Textile design | 1983 |
| Graphic design | 2002 |
| Furniture & product | 2001 |
| Product design | 2000 |
| General design | 2006 |
| Graphic design | 2011 |
| Lighting design | 2005 |
| Product design | 2005 |
| Textile design | 1997 |
| Textile design | 1997 |
| Fashion design | 1988 |
| Graphic design | 2003 |
| Ceramic design | 2004 |
| Textile design | 2004 |
| Illustration | 2023 |
| Fashion and textiles | 1988 |
| Landscape design | 2023 |
| Landscape design | 2021 |
| Bio design | 2021 |
| Automotive design | 1983 |
| Textile design | 2007 |
| Electrical appliances and furniture | 1968 |
| Interaction design | 2012 |
| Graphic design | 2021 |
| Landscape design | 2009 |
| Illustration | 1989 |
| Illustration | 1986 |
| Type design | 2007 |
| Architecture | 2021 |
| General design | 1973 |
| Costume design | 2007 |
| Fashion design | 2008 |
| General design | 1996 |
| Engineering design | 2006 |
| Fashion design | 2006 |
| General design | 2008 |
| Architecture | 2012 | |
Former members
Past RDIs
Past Royal Designers for Industry[3]
- Tony Abbott, Television & theatre design, 1972
- Ken Adam, Film production design, 2009
- Edward Ardizzone, Illustration, 1974
- Hardy Amies, Dress design, 1964
- Edward Abbott, Illustration, 1974
- Jon Bannenberg, Motor yachts, 1978
- Christian Barnard, Transport equipment, 1948
- Edward Bawden, Graphics, 1949
- Gerald Benney, Silversmithing, 1971
- Misha Black, Exhibitions & interiors, 1957
- John Box, Film production design, 1992
- Bill Brandt, Photography, 1978
- William Brown, Bridge design, 1977
- Stefan Buzas, Exhibitions & interiors, 1961
- Reco Capey, General design, 1937
- Andy Cameron, Interactive design, 2011
- Hugh Casson, Exhibitions, 1961
- Achille Castiglioni, General design, 1986
- Hulme Chadwick, Product design, 1974
- Colin Chapman, Automotive design, 1979
- Wells Coates, General design, 1944
- Christopher Cockerell, Engineering design, 1987
- Douglas Cockerell, Bookbinding, 1936
- Susie Cooper, Pottery, 1940
- Kay Cosserat, Textile design, 1986
- Edward Gordon Craig, Stage design, 1937
- Gordon Cullen, Illustration & townscape design, 1975
- Robin Day, Furniture & exhibitions, 1959
- Lucienne Day, Textiles, 1962
- Richard Eckersley, Book design, 1999
- Tom Eckersley, Posters, 1963
- Alan Fletcher, Graphics & publicity design, 1972
- Uffa Fox, Small boats, 1955
- Barnett Freedman, Graphics, 1949
- Roger Furse, Stage & film design, 1949
- Abram Games, Posters, 1959
- James Gardner, Exhibitions, 1947
- J Laurent Giles, Yachts, 1951
- Eric Gill, Typography & wood engraving, 1936
- Robert Goodden, General design, 1947
- Duncan Grant, Printed textiles, 1941
- Eileen Gray, Furniture & interiors, 1972
- Milner Gray, Packaging, 1937
- E W Grieve, Shop window display, 1940
- Jacqueline Groag, Textile design, 1964
- Edmund Happold, Engineering design, 1983
- Geoffrey de Havilland, Aircraft, 1944
- Ashley Havinden, Graphics, 1947
- Lionel Haworth, Engineering design, 1976
- Ambrose Heal, Furniture, 1939
- F H K Henrion, Packaging & graphics, 1959
- Jocelyn Herbert, Theatre & cinema design, 1971
- Robert Heritage, Furniture, 1963
- George Him, Graphic design, 1977
- James Hogan, Glass & stained glass, 1936
- Paul Hogarth, Illustration, 1979
- Charles Holden, Transport equipment, 1943
- Jack Howe, Products and industrial equipment, 1961
- Allen Hutt, Typographic & Newspaper design, 1970
- James Irvine, Product design, 2004
- Laurence Irving, date tbc
- Alec Issigonis, Motor cars, 1964
- Ralph Koltai, Theatre design, 1984
- Natasha Kroll, Shop display and television design, 1966
- Lynton Lamb, Book design & illustration, 1974
- Osbert Lancaster, Illustration, 1979
- Margaret Leischner, Textiles, 1969
- Richard Levin, Television design, 1971
- Noel London, Engineering product design, 1973
- William Lyons, Motor cars, 1964
- Ethel Mairet, Woven textiles, 1937 (first woman)[4]
- Eric de Maré, Photography, 1997
- Enid Marx, Pattern design, 1944
- J H Mason, 1936
- James McNeill, Ships, 1950
- David Mellor, Silver, cutlery & lighting, 1962
- Percy Metcalfe, Medals & coinage, 1937
- Francis Meynell, Typography, 1940
- Bill Moggridge, Product design, 1988
- Edward Molyneux, Dress, 1950
- Stanley Morison, Type design & typography, 1960
- Alastair Morton, textiles, 1960
- Alex Moulton, Engineering Products, 1968
- Jean Muir, Dress design, 1972
- H G Murphy, Goldsmithing, 1936
- Keith Murray, Glass, pottery & silver, 1936
- Charles Nicholson, Yachts, 1944
- Julia Trevelyan Oman, Theatre & film design, 1977
- Brian O'Rorke, Interiors, 1939
- Eric Carlton Ottaway, Road passenger vehicles, 1949
- Derek Prime, Engineering design, 1982
- Ian Proctor, Boats & small craft, 1969
- Tom Purvis, Commercial art, 1936
- Ernest Race, Furniture, 1953
- A B Read, Light fittings, 1940
- A A Rubbra, Engineering design, 1977
- Gordon Russell, Furniture, 1940
- R D Russell, Furniture, 1944
- Hans Schleger, Exhibition display & packaging, 1959
- Hans Schmoller, Typography, 1976
- Douglas Scott, Industrial designer, 1974
- Ronald Searle, Illustration, 1991
- George Sheringham, Interior decoration & textiles, 1936
- Peter Simpson, Woven Textile design, 1974
- Percy Delf Smith, Lettering, 1940
- Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon, Photography, 1986
- Basil Spence, Exhibitions & interiors, 1960
- Herbert Spencer, Typography, 1965
- Harold Stabler, Pottery, Enamelling & silversmithing, 1936
- Richard Stevens, Product design, 1973
- Reynolds Stone, Lettering, 1956
- Marianne Straub, Woven textiles, 1972
- Derek Sugden, Engineering design, 2009
- Fred Taylor, Graphics, 1936
- Philip Thompson, Graphics & illustration, 1997
- Walter Tracy, Type design, 1973
- Howard Upjohn, Engineering product design, 1973
- C F A Voysey, Interior decoration, furniture & fabrics, 1936
- Barnes Wallis, Aircraft, 1943
- Allan Walton, Printed textiles, 1940
- Neville Ward, Interior design & ship interiors, 1971
- John Waterer, Leather Goods, 1953
- Hans Wegner, Furniture, 1969
- Robert Welch, Product design & silversmithing, 1965
- Frank Whittle, Engineering design, 1985
- Berthold Wolpe, Typefaces & lettering, 1959
- Anna Zinkeisen, Graphics & mural painting, 1940
Past Honorary RDIs
Past Honorary Royal Designers for Industry[3]
- Edward McKnight Kauffer, Commercial art, 1936
- Alvar Aalto, General design, 1947
- Franco Albini, Interiors, exhibitions & furniture, 1971
- Gordon Andrews, General design, 1987
- Saul Bass, Film & TV graphics, 1964
- Herbert Bayer, Graphic design, 1984
- Richard Buckminster Fuller, Architecture & design, 1980
- Nanna Ditzel, Product design, 1996
- Charles Eames, Furniture, exhibitions & interiors, 1960
- Jean-Michel Folon, Illustration, 1981
- André François, Graphics 1974
- Shigeo Fukada, Graphic design, 1986
- Alexander Girard, Interiors, exhibitions & furnishing textiles, 1965
- Walter Gropius, General design, 1947
- Edward Hald, Glass, 1939
- Walter Herdeg, Graphic design, 1976
- Christian Joachim, Pottery, 1939
- CL 'Kelly' Johnson, Aircraft design, 1984
- Finn Juhl, Furniture & interiors, 1978
- Dora Jung, Woven textiles, 1979
- Kaare Klint, Furniture, 1949
- Takashi Kono, Graphics, 1983
- Raymond Loewy, General design, 1939
- Vico Magistretti, General design, 1992
- Pierre Mendell, Graphic design, 1999
- Bruno Mathsson, Furniture, 1978
- Herbert Matter, Graphics & photography, 1982
- Norman McLaren, Film Animation, 1986
- Børge Mogensen, Furniture, 1972
- Josef Muller-Brockmann, Graphic design, 1988
- George Nelson, General design, 1973
- Marcello Nizzoli, Typewriters & calculating machines, 1961
- Antti Nurmesniemi, General design, 1986
- Sigurd Persson, General design, 1987
- Battista Farina, Motor cars, 1954
- Paul Rand, Graphics, 1973
- Steen Eiler Rasmussen, General design, 1947
- Astrid Sampe, Textile design, 1949
- WHJB Sandberg, Exhibition & museum display, typography, 1971
- Timo Sarpaneva, Pottery & textiles, 1963
- Carlo Scarpa, Exhibitions, interiors & museum design, 1969
- Saul Steinberg, Illustration, 1980
- Olin Stephens, Yacht design, 1975
- Josef Svoboda, Theatre design, 1989
- Ilmari Tapiovaara, Furniture, 1969
- Walter Dorwin Teague, General design, 1951
- Henryk Tomaszewski, Graphics, 1975
- Roland Topor, Illustration, 1988
- Jan Tschichold, Typography & book design, 1965
- Dame Vivienne Westwood DBE, Fashion design, 2001
- Tapio Wirkkala, Glass, wood & silver, 1964
- Henry Wolf, Graphic design, 1990
- Hermann Zapf, Type Design, 1985
- Piet Zwart, Typography, 1966
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: Current Royal designers . . 12 July 2015.
- Web site: Current Honorary Royal Designers. RSA. 12 July 2015.
- Web site: Past Royal Designers for Industry. RSA. 12 July 2015.
- Margot Coatts, ‘Mairet, Ethel Mary (1872–1952)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Oct 2007 accessed 19 Oct 2015
