Crafting Legacy: The Story Behind the Prestwick Academy Dux Medal

When design transcends aesthetics, it becomes a physical narrative. For a designer, there is no greater honor than being asked to shape the visual legacy of an institution that helped shape you. This was precisely the opportunity I had when my former secondary school, Prestwick Academy, commissioned me to design their prestigious Dux Medal.

The challenge was not simply to create a piece of jewelry or a traditional award. The goal was to encapsulate centuries of academic excellence and institutional pride into a single, cohesive piece of solid silver.

The Design: A Physical Manifestation of Meaning

Great design lives at the intersection of concept and craftsmanship. For this commission, the inspiration was anchored firmly in the Prestwick Academy school motto: "Per Vias Rectas" (Through Straight Ways).

Instead of merely engraving these words onto a surface, I wanted the motto to dictate the actual structure and form of the medal itself:

The Breakthrough: The Latin phrase is meticulously pierced out of the solid silver, cutting directly through the large circular medal in a bold, unwavering straight line.

The Structural Bond: The words themselves hold the two halves of the medal together. Without the motto, the piece falls apart. This makes the phrase an integral, structural necessity rather than a decorative afterthought.

The Contrast: To emphasize this physical journey, the larger section of the medal features a muted, matte finish, while the smaller section is highly polished to catch the light.

This interplay of textures and negative space transforms a traditional accolade into a modern piece of wearable sculpture.

This interplay of textures and negative space transforms a traditional accolade into a modern piece of wearable sculpture.

A Separate, Unexpected Honor: The "Local Heroes" Project

While the Dux Medal was a formal, professional commission, a completely separate milestone occurred in 2004 that holds an equally special place in my career.

Students at Prestwick Academy launched a special research project to identify former pupils whose career paths and achievements they found genuinely inspirational. I was deeply moved to learn that the pupils had selected me as one of their "Local Heroes."

During a dedicated presentation, they awarded me a beautifully faceted crystal paperweight engraved with the school crest. Knowing that the next generation of creative minds looked at my design journey and saw something worth celebrating is one of the highest compliments I have ever received. It stands as a daily reminder in my studio that the work we do as creators ripples out into our communities in ways we might never expect.

Receiving that award was a humbling reminder of why I design. We create objects to celebrate human milestones, to preserve memories, and to anchor values into physical forms that last generations.