The Designers in Residence exhibition showcases the work of designers at the beginning of their careers and includes events that give designers the opportunity to interact and engage with the public while using the showcase as a test-bed for ideas, designs and innovations. Alumni include Giles Miller, Asif Khan and Bethan Laura Wood. The 2012 residents, Freyja Sewell,
Harry Trimble and Oscar Medley-Whitfield, Lawrence Lek and Yuri
Suzuki were asked to respond to the brief 'Thrift' and to
explore the idea of economy and resourcefulness in an object, an
environment or an experience. Responses include Sewell's investigation of the use of wool fibres that are produced as a by-product of the British carpet industry, and a series of workshops led by Suzuki to encourage us to explore how things work, with the aim of getting us to repair rather than replace items around the home.