Royal Designers for Industry
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 [1]
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 |
| 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 |
| 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
- Mr Edward McKnight Kauffer, USA, Commercial Art, 1936
- Mr Alvar Aalto, Finland, General Design, 1947
- Mr Franco Albini, Italy, Interiors, Exhibitions & Furniture, 1971
- Mr Gordon Andrews, Australia, General Design, 1987
- Mr Saul Bass, USA, Film & TV Graphics, 1964
- Mr Herbert Bayer, USA, Graphic Design, 1984
- Mr Richard Buckminster Fuller, USA, Architecture & Design, 1980
- Nanna Ditzel, Product Design, 1996
- Mr Charles Eames, USA, Furniture, Exhibitions & Interiors, 1960
- Mr André Francois, Graphics 1974
- Mr Alexander Hayden Girard, USA, Interiors, Exhibitions & Furnishing Textiles, 1965
- Mr Walter Gropius, USA, General Design, 1947
- Mr Edward Hald, Sweden, Glass, 1939
- Mr Walter Herdeg, Switzerland, Graphic Design, 1976
- Mr Christian Joachim, Sweden, Pottery, 1939
- Mr CL 'Kelly' Johnson, USA, Aircraft Design, 1984
- Mr Finn Juhl, Denmark, Furniture & Interiors, 1978
- Ms Dora Jung, Finland, Woven Textiles, 1979
- Mr Kaare Klint, Denmark, Furniture, 1949
- Mr Takashi Kono, Japan, Graphics, 1983
- Mr Raymond Loewy, USA, General Design, 1939
- Mr Bruno Mathsson, Sweden, Furniture, 1978
- Mr Herbert Matter, Switzerland, Graphics & Photography, 1982
- Mr Norman McLaren, Canada, Film Animation, 1986
- Mr Borge Mogensen, Denmark, Furniture, 1972
- Mr Josef Muller-Brockmann, Switzerland, Graphic Design, 1988
- Mr George Nelson, USA, General Design, 1973
- Mr Marcello Nizzoli, Italy, Typewriters & Calculating Machines, 1961
- Professor Antti Nurmesniemi, Finland, General Design, 1986
- Professor Sigurd Persson, Sweden, General Design, 1987
- Mr Battista Farina, Italy, Motor Cars, 1954
- Mr Paul Rand, USA, Graphics, 1973
- Mr Steen Eiler Rasmussen, Denmark, General Design, 1947
- Professor Astrid Sampe, Sweden, Textile Design, 1949
- Mr WHJB Sandberg, Holland, Exhibition & Museum Display, Typography, 1971
- Mr Carlo Scarpa, Italy, Exhibitions, Interiors & Museum Design, 1969
- Mr Saul Steinberg, USA, Illustration, 1980
- Mr Josef Svoboda, Czechoslovakia, Theatre Design, 1989
- Mr Ilmari Tapiovaara, Finland, Furniture, 1969
- Mr Walter Dorwin Teague, USA, General Design, 1951
- Mr Roland Topor, France, Illustration, 1988
- Mr Jan Tschichold, Switzerland, Typography & Book Design, 1965
- Mr Tapio Wirkkala, Finland, Glass, Wood & Silver, 1964
- Me Henry Wolf, USA, Graphic Design, 1990
- Mr Piet Zwart, Holland, Typography, 1966