Royal Society for Arts appoints seven Royal Designers for Industry

Seven creatives that "exemplify the power of design", including designer Yinka Ilori and journalist Mona Chalabi, have been named Royal Designers for Industry by the RSA.

The award, which has been given out since 1936, can only be held by 200 designers at any one time. It is given to "those who have achieved sustained design excellence and made a significant contribution to society through design," the Royal Society for Arts (RSA) said.

This year saw five designers named Royal Designers for Industry, while two were awarded the title Honorary Royal Designer for Industry.

The five Royal Designers for Industry are Ilori and Chalabi, as well as graphic designer Frith Kerr, speculative designer Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg and stone carver Teucer Wilson.

Digital designer April Greiman and structural designer Philippe Block were named Honorary Royal Designers for Industry.

The winners all "exemplify the power of design to connect beauty with responsibility and imagination with impact", the RSA said.

"Design lives and breathes in everything around us – it's the meeting point of creativity, care and courage," said master of the faculty of Royal Designers for Industry Johanna Gibbons.

"Each of our new Royal Designers shows how design can transform the way we see and shape the world, bringing people together and restoring balance between human and natural systems."

By giving out the award, the RSA said it wants to "celebrate design as a living force for progress".

People who have previously held the title include fashion designers Paul Smith and Zandra Rhodes, as well as industrial designer Jony Ive and computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee.

"The RSA celebrates design as the creative force shaping how we live – in everything we see, use and imagine," said RSA head of design and innovation Joanna Choukeir.

"The RDIs represent design at its most ambitious – not as decoration or luxury, but as a vital force for change. We are delighted to welcome these new RDIs and HRDIs and are proud to be the home of the world's most prestigious design community."

Recent projects by Ilori include a Bloomingdale's pop-up covered in flowers. Dezeen interviewed Chalabi in 2023, after she won the Pulitzer Prize for illustrated reporting.

The photography is by Kane Hulse.

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