Nick Foster - Royal Designer for Industry

Last night, I travelled to the Royal Society of Arts in London to receive the title ‘Royal Designer for Industry’. I have a hunch that this accolade isn’t broadly known, so here’s a little background for those who may be unfamiliar:

The title ‘Royal Designer for Industry’ (RDI) was created in 1936 and is awarded annually by the Royal Society of Arts to designers of all disciplines who have achieved ‘sustained design excellence, work of aesthetic value and significant benefit to society’. The RDI is the highest accolade for designers in the UK, and only 200 designers can hold the title. Presently this list includes Sir Jonathan Ive, Tim Berners-Lee, Brian Eno, Sir Norman Foster, Dame Vivienne Westwood, James Dyson and Thomas Heatherwick. The full list can be viewed here.

Many of the names on this list are tightly interwoven with my life. I grew up reading books illustrated by Quentin Blake, my first design internship was alongside Kenneth Grange at Pentagram, and my first design job was with James Dyson. I wore a Margaret Howell jacket to my Google Interview, and a Paul Smith suit to my mum’s funeral. Ron Arad was my tutor at the Royal College of Art and I’m writing this on a laptop designed by Jonathan Ive and his team. The list goes on and on and on…

Last year’s ceremony was postponed due to the pandemic, so 2021 marks something of a ‘bumper year’. In total there are eight new RDI’s and five honorary RDI’s (a title given to non-British citizens). I’m in illustrious company alongside Demis Hassabis, Ilse Crawford, Steven Appleby, Jo Da Silva, Anthony Dunne, Fiona Raby, Michael Wells, Marina Willer, Piet Oudolf, Neri Oxman, Paula Scher and Marina Tabassum.

At a moment such as this, it’s perhaps normal to get a little reflective and take stock. Whilst the faculty of RDI’s is a relatively small group of individuals, I’m struck by the breadth of work which now falls under the umbrella of ‘Design’, its reach continues to expand, peeking into into new technologies, developing new techniques and tackling new challenges, which is energizing.

Notably, this year’s awards represent an important moment for the field of Speculative Design. These approaches are relatively new (when compared to say, architecture or graphic design) so it’s heartening to see the RSA acknowledging the impact and importance of these ways of working with the inclusion of Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby. Whilst I don’t consider myself a Speculative Design purist, it’s undeniable that elements of these approaches have been at the core of my Design mindset since I met Tony and Fiona at the Royal College of Art in 1999.

When I graduated from the RCA some twenty-plus years ago, the Futures Design field which I represent today was still ill-formed, and indeed it’s still finding its feet today. During that time I’ve been fortunate to have found a space for open-ended exploration with my partners at the Near Future Laboratory, and I’m forever indebted to Julian, Fabien, Nicolas and Isra for their support and camaraderie, and for the opportunity to develop my own thinking in such a friendly, explorative and encouraging environment.

In parallel I’ve been fortunate to have worked in organizations with a high tolerance for experimentation. This continues to this day at X, where I’ve been able to introduce elements of Speculative Design and Design Fiction alongside more traditional Design techniques to great effect. I’m thankful to Tom and the team at X for their willingness to embrace these techniques, which can at times be challenging, provocative and uncomfortable, and for the space to push the role of Design in industry.

Finally, I am truly grateful to the Royal Society of Arts and the faculty of Royal Designers for Industry for this recognition of my contributions to Design. I believe in the potency of this type of work, and will continue to place it at the center of my practice in the coming years. I will also do whatever I can to represent this accolade well, and support others wherever possible.

Nick Foster — London 2021

Special thanks to Simon Waterfall RDI for his nomination, representation and support, and to all the peers, team-mates, family and friends who have challenged, supported and encouraged me over the years.