Chartered Society of Designers

The Chartered Society of Designers (CSD), professional body for designers. It is the only Royal Chartered body of professional designers. Its membership is multi-disciplinary – representing designers in all design disciplines including Interior Design, Product Design, Graphic Design, Fashion and Textile Design.
Founded in 1930 as Society of Industrial Artists, the Society is governed by Royal Charter (granted in 1976). Members are obliged by a Code of Conduct to practice to the highest professional standards. CSD is a registered charity (UK Registered Charity Number 279393). Its Royal Patron was Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
CSD is not a trade body/association and functions as a learned society. Membership to the Society is awarded to qualified designers who demonstrate competence against CPSK (TM) (Creativity, Professionalism, Skills, and Knowledge). Members are identified using the post-nominal letters, MCSD (TM) or FCSD (TM) (indicating Member or Fellow, respectively).
Other postnominals awarded by this Society include:
HonFCSD
HonMCSD
Assoc.CSD
aCSDf
aCSDm
All postnominals are registered trademarks.
The Royal Charter for this Society states: The Society exists to promote concern for the sound principles of design in all areas in which design considerations apply, to further design practice and encourage the study of design techniques for the benefit of the community. To secure and promote a professional body of designers and regulate and control their practice for the benefit of the design industry and the general public.
The Society incorporated the British Institute of Interior Designers in 1988. The institute dates back to 1898 and can trace its origins as far back as 1236 to the Guild of Peynters and Stainers.
The Society's head office is at 1 Cedar Court, Royal Oak Yard, Bermondsey Street in London.
The Register of Chartered Designers.
The Chartered Society of Designers maintains the Register of Chartered Designers for the design profession and has Royal power to grant licences to design bodies and to award the title 'Chartered Designer' (a registered trademark).
History.
Milestones in the history of the Society. 
Published works.
A wide variety of books have been published under the "Chartered Society of Designers".
Awards.
CSD has an awards programme to ensure that designers are recognised for their work.
Member recognition.
The Minerva Service Award is to be awarded to members of the Society who have made an outstanding contribution to the life and success of the Society. Consideration is given to those who have played a leading role in the work of CSD and assisted it to achieve its objects under the Royal Charter. This award has only been recently introduced, the first award was made in 2015.
Winners:
The Minerva Medal is the highest award the Society can give to its members, usually for an overall lifetime achievement in design. Many who have received it are recognisable names, each having helped to raise the professionalism of design. The Medal is cast from sterling silver, bearing the profile of Minerva, Roman Goddess of Wisdom, Knowledge and Education, and the CSD logo.
Past winners include:
The CSD Life Fund was established through the generosity of a group of CSD Fellows in 2000. Since then the fund has grown substantially through donations from other Society members. The aim of the fund is to make awards to members who have suffered severe hardship or trauma in order that they may be able to continue with design study or practice.
The Prince Philip Designers Prize was instigated by CSD's Patron, The Duke of Edinburgh in 1959 and was awarded annually until 2011. The award was made to a British designer or design-team leader whose exemplary work has had an effect on the perception of design by the public, and on the status of designers in society. A representative from the CSD, along with those from other design organisations, sat on the panel of judges who met at Buckingham Palace to determine the winner from a shortlist of inspiring designers in all fields of activity. The nominations were received from various professional bodies. The winner of the Prince Philip Designers Prize in 2005 was the influential graphic designer Derek Birdsall FCSD. Design engineer Alex Moulton and architect Edward Cullinan were both awarded special commendations. The award is currently under review, the last recipient being Quentin Blake CBE FCSD RDI who was nominated by the Society.
The Prize was re-instated by the Society in 2016. Prince Philip suggested and agreed various changes to the Prize that build on its heritage in order to reflect today's design profession including opening the Prize to international nominations.
The Prince Philip Student Design Awards were also approved by the Society's Patron. The awards will be made to students across a range of design disciplines.