Bicentenary Medal of the Royal Society of Arts

The Bicentenary Medal of the Royal Society of Arts is awarded to "a person who, in a manner other than as an industrial designer, has applied art and design in great effect as instruments of civic innovation", as long as the winner is not already "bedecked with medals". It was first awarded in 1954, on the bicentenary of the Royal Society of Arts, and continues to be awarded annually with exceptions in 2003, 2006 and 2012.
The Medal was instituted in 1954 to commemorate the founding of the RSA over two hundred years earlier, and has been awarded to a variety of individuals for their outstanding contributions to the advancement of design in industry and society. In the RSA's current account of design, that contribution is interpreted as the most effective use of design to increase the resourcefulness of people and communities.