Royal Designers for Industry

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Royal Designer for Industry is a distinction established by the Royal Society of Arts (or 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 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.

Who are the RDIs and Hon RDIs?

There are currently 113 RDIs and 48 HonRDIs spanning every area of design. It is a lifetime award, but the lists below show current members (ie, those RDIs who are still alive), and former members (those who have died).

Click here for a current list of Royal Designers for Industry

Current Members

The date of their award is shown after the name of the category for which they were honoured.

RDIs

Name Category Year
Ron Arad

Furniture Design

2002
Dennis Bailey

Illustration & Design

1980
Edward Barber

Furniture Design

2007
John Barnard

Engineering Design

1995
Gerald Benney

Silversmithing

1971
Derek Birdsall

Graphic Design

1983
Peter Blake

Graphic Design

1981
Quentin Blake

Illustration

1987
Peter Brookes

Graphic Design

2002
Julian Brown

Product Design

1998
Nicholas Butler

Product Design

1981
Stefan Buzas

Exhibitions & Interiors

1961
Donald Cameron

Engineering Design

2004
David Carter

Product Design

1974
Matthew Carter

Type Design

1981
Ron Carter

Furniture

1971
Stuart Craig

Film Production Design

2004
Bob Crowley

Theatre & Film Design

1997
Lucienne Day

Textiles

1962
Robin Day

Furniture & Exhibitions

1959
Mike Dempsey

Graphic Design

1994
Eileen Diss

TV & Theatre Design

1975
William Dudley

Theatre Design

1988
Richard Eckersley

Book Design

1999
Eileen Ellis

Textile Design

1984
Simon Esterson

Graphic Design

2001
Alan Fletcher

Graphics & Publicity Design

1972
Colin Forbes

Graphic Design

1974
Michael Foreman

Illustration

1985
The Lord Foster of Thames Bank

Interior Design

1988
Jenny Frean

Textile Design

1998
John Galliano

Fashion Design

2002
Malcolm Garrett

New Media

2000
David Gentleman

Stamps

1970
Kenneth Grange

General Design

1969
Margaret Hall

Exhibitions

1974
Geoffrey Harcourt

Furniture Design

1978
Tim Harvey

TV Production Design

1990
Patrick Head

Engineering Design

1993
Thomas Heatherwick

General Design

2004
Robert Heritage

Furniture

1963
David Hillman

Graphic Design

1997
Matthew Hilton

Furniture Design

2004
Richard Hudson

Theatre Design

1999
Martin Hunt

Ceramics & Glass

1981
Alan Irvine

Exhibitions & Museum

1964
James Irvine

Product Design

2004
Jonathan Ive

Product Design

2003
Betty Jackson

Fashion Design

1988
Eva Jiricna

Interior Design

1991
William Neill Johnstone

Textile Design

1989
Perry King

Product Design

1990
Rodney Kinsman

Furniture Design

1990
Geoffrey Kirk

Engineering Design

2001
Alan Kitching

Graphic Design

1994
Ralph Koltai

Theatre Design

1984
Martin Lambie-Nairn

TV Graphics

1987
Roger Law

Graphic Design & Caricature

1999
Stefanos Lazaridis

Theatre Design

2003
R 'Sonny' Levi

Boat Design

1987
Robin Levien

Ceramics & Glass

1995
David Lewis

Product Design

1995
Bernard Lodge

Film & TV Graphics

1982
Noel London

Engineering Product Design

1973
Ross Lovegrove

Product Design

2003
George Mackie

Book Design

1973
Tim Macfarlane

Structural Engineering Design

2004
Pearce Marchbank

Graphic Design

2004
John McConnell

Graphic Design

1987
Antony McDonald

Theatre Design

2004
David McMurtry

Engineering Design

1989
Marshall Meek

Naval Architecture

1986
David Mellor

Silver, Cutlery & Light

1962
Bill Moggridge

Product Design

1988
Jasper Morrison

Furniture Design

2001
Alex Moulton

Engineering Products

1968
Colin Mudie

Small Craft Naval

1995
John Napier

Theatre & Film Design

1996
Timothy O'Brien

Theatre Design

1991
Jay Osgerby

Furniture Design

2007
Anthony Powell

Costume Design

1999
Mary Quant

Dress Design

1969
Wendy Ramshaw

Jewellery Design

1999
James Randle

Engineering Design

1994
Zandra Rhodes

Fashion & Textiles

1976
Philip Ruffles

Engineering Design

1997
Patrick Rylands

Product Design

1999
Ron Sandford

Illustration

1989
Gerald Scarfe

Illustration

1989
Ronald Searle

Illustration

1991
Sir Paul Smith

Fashion Design

1978
The Earl of Snowdon

Photography

1986
Philip Thompson

Graphics & Illustration

1997
Alan Tye

Product Design

1989
Georgina von Etzdorf

Textile Design

1995
Stuart Walker

Film & TV Design

1998
Vivienne Westwood

Fashion Design

2001
Raymond Wheeler

Engineering Design

1995
Chris Wise

Structural Engineering

1998
Terence Woodgate

Furniture Design

2003

HonRDIs

Name Category Year
Junichi Arai

Textile Design

1987
Fabien Baron

Graphic Design

2000
Mario Bellini

General Design

1991
Manolo Blahnik

Shoe Design

2001
Ivan Chermayeff

Graphic Design

1991
Kyle Cooper

Film & TV Graphics

2001
Wim Crouwel

Graphic Design

1998
Niels Diffrient

Furniture Design

1987
Jean-Michel Folon

Illustration

1981
Dionysis Fotopoulos

Theatre & Film Design

1992
Shigeo Fukuda

Graphic Design

1986
Milton Glaser

Graphics

1979
Kathryn Gustafson

Landscape & Gardens

2001
Armin Hofmann

Illustration

1968
Knud Holscher

Product Design

2004
Rei Kawakubo

Fashion Design

2001
Friso Kramer

Furniture

1979
Yrjö Kukkapuro

Furniture Design

2002
Jack Lenor Larsen

Textile Design

1983
Italo Lupi

Graphic Design

2002
Vico Magistretti

General Design

1992
Erik Magnussen

Furniture & Product

2001
Enzo Mari

Product Design

2000
Pierre Mendell

Graphic Design

1999
Ottavio Missoni

Textile Design

1997
Rosita Missoni

Textile Design

1997
Issey Miyake

Fashion Design

1988
Bruno Monguzzi

Graphic Design

2003
Marcello Morandini

Ceramic Design

2004
Ulf Moritz

Textile Design

2004
Vuokko Nurmesniemi

Fashion & Textiles

1988
Sergio Pininfarina

Automotive Design

1983
Dieter Rams

Electrical Appliances & Furniture

1968
Richard Sapper

Product Design

1988
Timo Sarpaneva

Glass, Pottery & Textiles

1963
Jean-Jacques Sempé

Illustration

1989
Maurice Sendak

Illustration

1986
Ettore Sottsass

Product Design

1999
Erik Spiekermann

Type Design

2007
Olin Stephens

Yacht Design

1975
Roger Tallon

General Design

1973
Henryk Tomaszewski

Graphics

1975
Massimo Vignelli

General Design

1996
Hans Wegner

Furniture

1969
Hermann Zapf

Type Design

1985
Eva Zeisel

Ceramic Design

2004

Former members

Past RDIs

  • Mr Tony Abbott MC, Television & Theatre Design, 1972
  • Sir Hardy Amies KCVO RDI, Dress Design, 1964
  • Mr Edward Abbott CBE, Illustration, 1974
  • Mr Jon Bannenberg, Motor Yachts, 1978
  • Mr Christian Barnard OBE, Transport Equipment, 1948
  • Mr Edward Bawden CBE, Graphics, 1949
  • Sir Misha Black OBE, Exhibitions & Interiors, 1957
  • Mr John Box OBE, Film Production Design, 1992
  • Mr Bill Brandt, Photography, 1978
  • Dr William Brown, Bridge Design, 1977
  • Mr Reco Capey, General Design, 1937
  • Sir Hugh Casson CH KCVO, Exhibitions, 1961
  • Achille Castiglioni, General Design, 1986
  • Mr Hulme Chadwick, Product Design, 1974
  • Mr Colin Chapman CBE, Automotive Design, 1979
  • Mr Wells Coates OBE, General Design, 1944
  • Sir Christopher Cockerell OBE, Engineering Design, 1987
  • Mr Douglas Cockerell MBE, Bookbinding, 1936
  • Miss Susie Cooper OBE, Pottery, 1940
  • Professor Kay Cosserat RDI, Textile Design, 1986
  • Mr Edward Gordon Craig CH, Stage Design, 1937
  • Mr Gordon Cullen CBE, Illustration & Townscape Design, 1975
  • Mr Tom Eckersley OBE, Posters, 1963
  • Mr Uffa Fox CBE, Small Boats, 1955
  • Mr Barnett Freedman CBE, Graphics, 1949
  • Mr Roger Furse, Stage & Film Design, 1949
  • Mr Abram Games OBE, Posters, 1959
  • Mr James Gardener CBE, Exhibitions, 1947
  • Mr J Laurent Giles, Yachts, 1951
  • Mr Eric Gill, Typography & Wood Engraving, 1936
  • Mr Robert Goodden CBE, General Design, 1947
  • Mr Duncan Grant, Printed Textiles, 1941
  • Ms Eileen Gray, Furniture & Interiors, 1972
  • Mr Milner Gray CBE, Packaging, 1937
  • Mr E W Grieve, Shop Window Display, 1940
  • Ms Jacqueline Groag, Textile Design, 1964
  • Professor Sir Edmund Happold, Engineering Design, 1983
  • Sir Geoffrey de Havilland OM CBE, Aircraft, 1944
  • Mr Ashley Havinden OBE, Graphics, 1947
  • Mr Lionel Haworth OBE, Engineering Design, 1976
  • Sir Ambrose Heal, Furniture, 1939
  • Mr F H K Henrion OBE, Packaging & Graphics, 1959
  • Ms Jocelyn Herbert RDI, Theatre & Cinema Design, 1971
  • Mr George Him, Graphic Design, 1977
  • Mr James Hogan, Glass & Stained Glass, 1936
  • Mr Paul Hogarth OBE, Illustration, 1979
  • Mr Charles Holden, Transport Equipment, 1943
  • Mr Jack Howe RDI, Products and Industrial Equipment, 1961
  • Mr Alan Hutt, Typographic & Newspaper Design, 1970
  • Mr Laurence Irving OBE, date tbc
  • Sir Alec Issigonis CBE, Motor Cars, 1964
  • Miss Natasha Kroll RDI, Shop Display and Television Design, 1966
  • Mr Lynton Lamb, Book Design & Illustration, 1974
  • Sir Osbert Lancaster, Illustration, 1979
  • Ms Margaret Leischner, Textiles, 1969
  • Mr Richard Levin OBE, Television Design, 1971
  • Sir William Lyons, Motor Cars, 1964
  • Miss Ethel Mairet, Woven Textiles, 1937
  • Mr Eric de Mare, Photography, 1997
  • Miss Enid Marx, Pattern Design, 1944
  • Mr J H Mason, 1936
  • Sir James McNeill KCVO CBE MC, Ships, 1950
  • Mr Percy Metcalfe CVO, Medals & Coinage, 1937
  • Sir Francis Meynell, Typography, 1940
  • Mr Edward Molyneux, MC, Dress, 1950
  • Mr Stanley Morison, Type Design & Typography, 1960
  • Mr Alastair Morton, Textiles, 1960
  • Miss Jean Muir CBE, Dress Design, 1972
  • Mr H G Murphy, Goldsmithing & Goldsmithing, 1936
  • Mr Keith Murray, MC, Glass, Pottery & Silver, 1936
  • Mr Charles Nicholson OBE, Yachts, 1944
  • Dr Julia Trevelyan Oman, CBE RDI, Theatre & Film Design, 1977
  • Mr Brian O'Rorke, RA Interiors, 1939
  • Mr Eric Carlton Ottaway, Road Passenger Vehicles, 1949
  • Mr Derek Prime, Engineering Design, 1982
  • Mr Ian Proctor, Boats & Small Craft, 1969
  • Mr Tom Purvis, Commercial Art, 1936
  • Mr Ernest Race, Furniture, 1953
  • Mr A B Read, Light Fittings, 1940
  • Mr A A Rubbra, Engineering Design, 1977
  • Sir Gordon Russell MC CBE, Furniture, 1940
  • Mr R D Russell, Furniture, 1944
  • Mr Hans Schleger, Exhibition Display & Packaging, 1959
  • Mr Hans Schmoller, Typography, 1976
  • Mr Douglas Scott, Industrial Designer, 1974
  • Mr George Sheringham, Interior Decoration & Textiles, 1936
  • Mr Peter Simpson, Woven Textile Design, 1974
  • Mr Percy Delf Smith, Lettering, 1940
  • Sir Basil Spence OM OBE, Exhibitions & Interiors, 1960
  • Mr Herbert Spencer, Typography, 1965
  • Mr Harold Stabler, Pottery, Enamelling & Silversmithing, 1936
  • Mr Richard Stevens, Product Design, 1973
  • Mr Reynolds Stone CBE, Lettering, 1956
  • Miss Marianne Straub OBE, Woven Textiles, 1972
  • Mr Fred Taylor, Graphics, 1936
  • Mr Walter Tracy, Type Design, 1973
  • Mr Howard Upjohn, Engineering Product Design, 1973
  • Mr C F A Voysey, Interior Decoration, Furniture & Fabrics, 1936
  • Sir Barnes Wallis CBE, Aircraft, 1943
  • Mr Allan Walton, Printed Textiles, 1940
  • Mr Neville Ward, Interior Design & Ship Interiors, 1971
  • Mr John Waterer, Leather Goods, 1953
  • Mr Robert Welch MBE, Product Design & Silversmithing, 1965
  • Sir Frank Whittle OM KBE CB, Engineering Design, 1985
  • Mr Berthold Wolpe OBE, Type Faces & Lettering, 1959
  • Ms Anna Zinkeisen, Graphics & Mural Painting, 1940

Past Honorary RDIs

External links



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