RDInsights

This is an RDInsights Archive recording from 2009 with the textile designer Georgina von Etzdorf RDI, whose work is celebrated for its wonderful use of colour and its unique mastery of design. Mike Dempsey RDI recorded this conversation 16 years ago, up in the hills of Málaga, Spain, where Georgina still escapes our dark, cold UK winters and spends much of her time painting.

Mike Dempsey RDI is joined by Teucer Wilson, one of the UK’s leading stone carvers and letter cutters.  After studying stonemasonry and carving at Weymouth College, Teucer completed a five-year apprenticeship with the distinguished stone cutter Richard Kindersley, cutting tens of thousands of letters and immersing himself in a tradition tracing back through David Kindersley.  Since establishing his Norfolk workshop in 2000, he has created memorials, public artworks, sculptures, and commissions for hospitals, gardens, and civic spaces.  His work combines the rigour of craft with a deep sensitivity to form, texture, and material, always mindful of how stone holds memory and meaning.

Mike Dempsey RDI is in conversation with furniture designer, maker and environmentalist, Sebastian Cox. He is renowned for his nature-first approach to making, his championing of British woodlands, and his ability to weave centuries-old traditions into contemporary design. His studio in Margate, Kent, is not just a workshop, but a statement: of zero-waste, carbon-awareness, and regeneration. We follow Sebastian’s path from growing up in the Kent countryside to shaping a design philosophy that looks to nature as the ultimate collaborator.

This RDInsights interview with Dinah Casson RDI was recorded in 2015 by Mike Dempsey RDI. In it, Dinah reflects on her childhood and her creative journey to becoming one of the UK’s leading interior and exhibition designers. Mike recently caught up with Dinah again to hear what she’s been doing over the past decade; an update of this conversation has been added to the end of this archive recording.

Graphic designer Ian Cartlidge, co-founder of Cartlidge Levene, one of the UK’s most admired graphic design studios. Ian began his career at Conran Associates before moving on to work on the Habitat catalogue, a formative time that laid the groundwork for what came next. 1987, he teamed up with Adam Levene to establish their own practice. Cartlidge Levene has since built a reputation for thoughtful, award-winning wayfinding and signage, working with clients such as Tate Modern, The Design Museum, the Barbican, V&A Dundee, the Royal College of Art, Selfridges, and The Guardian. Their work in the cultural sector has helped shape how millions of visitors navigate and experience some of the most iconic institutions in the world.

This is an RDInsights archive catch-up recording from 2015 with Interior designer Ben Kelly RDI, best known for his innovative and often industrial approach to interior spaces. His most iconic work is the design of the legendary Hacienda nightclub in Manchester, which opened in 1982. Ben's design approach often incorporates elements of postmodernism and brutalism, with a strong emphasis on raw materials, geometric forms, and striking colour contrasts. His work frequently bridges the gap between art, architecture, and design, and he has collaborated with various artists, musicians, and cultural institutions. His clients have ranged from Paul Smith and Vivienne Westwood to the Science and V&A Museums.

Mike Dempsey RDI is in conversation with the Oscar and BAFTA award-winning production designer Shona Heath RDI. She is well known for her visionary approach and has spent nearly three decades crafting a distinctive world of visual storytelling. Her work is a magical fusion of art, fashion, and film, blending the fantastical and tangible to create immersive, otherworldly experiences. Shona has become a trailblazer in her field, from collaborating with leading fashion designers and photographers to shaping iconic set designs for global campaigns and now the world of feature films. Join Mike to delve into Shona's life, inspirations, challenges, and moments defining her extraordinary career.

This is an updated RDInsights 2007 archive recording by the new media and graphic designer Malcolm Garrett RDI MBE, made by Mike Dempsey. It covers Malcolm’s early life and career working with many of the notable emerging punk groups in Manchester in the 1970s and 1980s, alongside his passion for digital technology and being the first all-digital graphic studio in the UK. At the end of the 2007 recording, Mike hooked up with Malcolm in 2025 to discover what he had been up to in the ensuing years.