curated by Lottie Mac

Learning 
through 
design

a week-long exhibition and programme
of free talks, workshops, and conversation
15th-20th September 2026


workshops + talks // exhibition 

full programme + bookings
about

i love learning tops


old spitalfields market 
1107B Commercial St, 
London E1 6BG
TALK  ///
2-3 PM
TUESDAY 15TH SEPT
Play and Reuse in Material-Led Design
by Katie May Boyd, Co-Founder of Studio TIP This talk will explore the necessity of play when working with reused materials and how it can shape a responsive design approach.


Working with waste and reused materials goes against the linear systems and infrastructures that the traditional design industry is built upon. It calls for a radically different approach than we’ve been taught as designers, as well as adjusted expectations from clients around project stages, timings and outcomes.

The talk will consider how to navigate these relationships, why collaboration is central to the process, and how play forms the basis of Studio TIP’s design approach. By relinquishing control and engaging directly with materials, designers can develop a hands-on understanding of their properties, possibilities and potential.



About Studio TIP
Studio TIP is a creative practice run by Katie May Boyd, exploring materiality for circular design. Working with undervalued and secondary raw materials from local communities, institutions and manufacturing industries, TIP uses a playful making approach to create public art, bespoke commissions, hands-on Free-Play workshops and research-led projects.


Talk Summary

Studio TIP brought us into their making process from beginning till end, in this session we were given insight into how working with reuse materials changes the design process and gave proactive approaches to skill sharing and working with communities. Touching on the double diamond design process, Studio TIP explored where they sit within that approach, and how they alter from traditional design processes, never knowing the full extent to what they are going to create until they hold the material in their hands. Not only is the design process nontraditional in its approach, its also different every time, working across different mediums at different scales and in different environments means the process is forever changing, something that Studio TIP are beginning to master and is inspiring to listen to. 


Studio TIP poses the question - can creative reuse add value to development processes? Working with the building process, in spaces of change Studio TIP gather, create and distribute. Using and giving away material hand in hand. When working with reuse material order is essential. Part of this process is a process of selection, organising material and acting with care allows materials and objects to come together easier and allow play to begin. 


Studio TIP have produced a ‘no glue rule’ in their practice, allowing for a truly circular economy. This guidance allows for expansion of use and as always, rules in making lead to expanded approaches. Through buckles, belts and bolts pieces merge and expand into new forms. This has become more than a rule and has evolved into a visual identity across their works. TIP also create material passports opening up room for inspiration and tracking the life of the material. This precision of care and organisation of material is echoed in their material use report, where they gather and provide evidence of the life of reused material, a practice which many artists and designers would be smart to integrate into their approaches, especially when trying to work with public authorities and larger companies, tracking the impact of your work. 


The talk was inspiring and allowed for a deeper understanding of the ins and outs of working with reuse materials, it goes beyond just picking them up and using them. It opened our eyes to the importance and expansive nature of reuse design making and how this material approach can lead to so much unexpected and beautiful collaboration with material, space and variety of stakeholders and individuals.  

Go mbeannaí Dia thú le heolas agus le inspioráidTop