Chartered Society of Designers

Home
United Kingdom
London
Chartered Society of Designers

The Society that helps designers. CSD is the world's largest chartered body of professional designers and is unique in representing all design disciplines.

Governed by Royal Charter and also a Registered Charity

20/08/2026

Paul Rand helped redefine what corporate identity could be.

Working with organisations including IBM, ABC, UPS and NeXT, he developed identities that balanced clarity with character and remained relevant for decades.

His ideas extended beyond the work itself. Through writing and teaching, Rand encouraged designers to approach identity as a process of thinking as much as making.

✨ Designers You Should Know

18/08/2026

Motion graphics have changed dramatically over the decades, shaped by new technologies, techniques and ways of working.

From the experimental processes behind Doctor Who and The Old Grey Whistle Test to the polished BBC One Rhythm & Movement idents, these images offer a glimpse into that changing creative landscape.

In his latest article for TheDesigner, Dr Iain Macdonald FCSD reflects on how the workflow of motion graphics has evolved, what faster and more accessible tools have made possible, and why human judgement and originality still matter.

Read the full article: https://charteredsocietyofdesigners.substack.com/p/creativity-craft-and-the-changing?r=4duxw7&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

The historical examples are explored further in Designing the BBC, co-edited by Dr Iain Macdonald FCSD and Paula Williams and published by Bloomsbury. Full image credits appear on each slide.

17/08/2026

For Rawan Al Hashemi Assoc.CSD, every project begins with a question: what problem is this solving, and what story should it tell?

Her sustainable souvenir kit shows that thinking in practice. Inspired by bakhoor and Bahraini heritage, Rawan designed the primary packaging to serve as a reusable ceramic burner, bringing together sustainability, practicality, and cultural storytelling.

Now working as part of the design team for Bahrain’s 2026 Voluntary National Review for the United Nations, Rawan sees receiving the CSD CEP Student Prize as the beginning of an ambitious career in design.

Read the full article: https://charteredsocietyofdesigners.substack.com/p/cep-spotlight-bahrain-polytechnic?r=4duxw7

13/08/2026

What happens to creativity when the process becomes almost frictionless?

When Dr Iain Macdonald FCSD joined BBC Television Centre in the late 1980s, motion graphics brought together typography, physical model making, analogue effects, film and emerging computer systems. The process was slower and less predictable, leaving more room for experimentation and discovery.

Today’s tools have opened motion graphics to far more people and made sophisticated techniques increasingly accessible. They have also created new expectations around speed, while shared tools, templates and platform conventions can make it harder for distinctive ideas to emerge.

In his latest article for TheDesigner, Iain reflects on what changing workflows mean for craft, originality and the designer’s role in an age of AI.

Read the full article: https://charteredsocietyofdesigners.substack.com/p/creativity-craft-and-the-changing?r=4duxw7&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

The article also draws on historical insights explored in Designing the BBC, co-edited by Dr Iain Macdonald FCSD and Paula Williams and published by Bloomsbury.

05/08/2026

The Chartered Society of Designers was saddened to learn of the death of Professor David Queensberry FCSD on 22 July 2026, aged 96.

A distinguished ceramic designer and educator, David served as Professor of Ceramics at the Royal College of Art for 24 years.

His contribution to ceramic design, education and generations of emerging designers will be remembered.

Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues.

30/07/2026

As designers, we spend a lot of time asking whether something looks right or works well. What if those aren't the most important questions?

In his latest TheDesigner article, Dan Lewis explores why emotional design still matters, and why the objects people remember are often those that become woven into everyday life.

These three questions offer a useful starting point for any creative project, whatever discipline you work in.

Members can read more via Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/charteredsocietyofdesigners/p/beyond-aesthetics-why-emotional-design?r=4duxw7&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

28/07/2026

Where can curiosity take a designer?

For Sara Alsubait Assoc.CSD, it has led from branding and web design to educational media, motion graphics, AI-assisted creativity and interactive experiences.

In the latest issue of TheDesigner, Sara shares the projects that shaped her studies, why she believes successful design is about creating value for others, and how curiosity continues to guide her creative journey.

Members can read the full feature here: https://open.substack.com/pub/charteredsocietyofdesigners/p/cep-spotlight-bahrain-polytechnic?r=4duxw7&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

.designify

23/07/2026

Don Norman's model of emotional design has shaped design thinking for more than two decades. But could the language we use to describe it be simpler?

In the latest issue of TheDesigner, Dan Lewis revisits Norman's framework, reinterpreting its three dimensions as aesthetics, function and meaning. Rather than replacing the original theory, he makes it more accessible for designers and students while retaining the same fundamental ideas.

Read the full article via Substack:
https://open.substack.com/pub/charteredsocietyofdesigners/p/beyond-aesthetics-why-emotional-design?r=4duxw7&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

21/07/2026

Some articles answer questions. Others ask better ones.

Frank Peters' latest reflection falls firmly into the second category.

Drawing on fifty years in design, he explores ideas of craft, know-how and professional judgement, considering how these have evolved alongside the profession itself.

The story we've highlighted in this carousel is just one moment from a much broader reflection, capturing a question that sits at the heart of the piece.

Can every aspect of design be taught, or are some things only learned through practice?

https://charteredsocietyofdesigners.substack.com/p/fifty-years-in-the-craft-the-judgement?r=4duxw7

16/07/2026

Every year, the CSD CEP Awards recognise graduating designers from our accredited programmes around the world. Behind every award is a different story, a different perspective and the beginning of a new career.

In the latest issue of TheDesigner, we caught up with two graduates from Bahrain Polytechnic whose work takes design in very different directions.

Rawan Al Hashemi Assoc.CSD reflects on resilience and designing purpose-driven products that celebrate cultural traditions through contemporary craft.

Sara Alsubait Assoc.CSD shares how her passion for digital design has grown into work spanning branding, motion, UI/UX and educational media, including projects which explore how emerging technologies can support creative practice.

Read both interviews in the latest issue of TheDesigner.

https://open.substack.com/pub/charteredsocietyofdesigners/p/cep-spotlight-bahrain-polytechnic?r=4duxw7&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

Address

1 Cedar Court, Royal Oak Yard, Bermondsey Street
London
SE13GA

Telephone

+442073578088

Website

http://www.csd.org.uk/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Chartered Society of Designers posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organisation

Send a message to Chartered Society of Designers:

Featured

British DJ & MC Academy
The grangeway
Hephzibar Foundation