Textile Design BA/BSc (Hons)

Pathways in Constructed, Mixed Media and Printed Textiles

• Winner of the 2008 Textile Society Award at New Designers
• Creative thinking and research in all pathways builds strong design and technical skills in a broad range of textile materials and processes
• Techniques include fabric manipulation, stitch, heat transfer imaging, digital embroidery, digital jacquard weaving and knitting, flocking, commercial sampling, fabric finishing, foiling, screenprinting and textile dyeing
• Benefit from links with industry through live commercial projects, participation in national and international competitions and work placements
• Contemporary practitioners support the course team in developing student design work
• Leads to careers in the design marketplace including textile technology, fabric buying and production, and as studio based and freelance designers, designer makers and teachers.

Key facts
Programme - general
Programme - Contructed Textiles pathway
Programme - Mixed Media Textiles pathway
Programme - Printed Textiles pathway
Facilities
Teaching and assessment
Awards and competitions
Career opportunities
Other courses of interest
Student news
Further information request
Open days
Digital prospectus
Featured video

Programme
The course enables you to become a confident designer and maker of textiles. The creative and practical design work is enriched through the study of history of art and contemporary trends.

Year one - all pathways
This introduces the fundamental aspects of design including drawing and observational imaging, media and material exploration and colour theory. The course shares a common first year across Constructed, Mixed Media and Printed Textiles, where you experience a variety of textile disciplines such as stitch, fabric manipulation, textile construction and heat transfer. Printed textiles, dyeing and fabric construction through knitted and woven technologies are also introduced. Modules typically include:

• An Introduction to Materials and Techniques
• Approaches to Conceptual Researching and Recording Imagery
• Contemporary Textile Practice.

Years two and three 
In years two and three you focus on your chosen pathway, applying skills gained in year one.

Constructed Textiles pathway (BSc Honours)
This pathway focuses on woven and knitted textile design for fashion and interiors, and leads to a wide range of career options. Studying a balance of creative design, textile technology and commercial processes enables you to develop as an innovative and technically fluent designer with a broad understanding of the global textile industry. The pathway offers an optional placement year in industry.

Year two
Develop strong design skills and technical expertise through a series of project briefs that explore innovative design in weave and knit for fashion and interiors. Traditional technologies and approaches to design are explored, alongside the latest digital weaving and knitting equipment and CAD packages. Modules are also undertaken in textile finishes and product performance providing in-depth knowledge of fabrics. You are prepared for an optional year in industry through a series of industry-led talks, commercial assignments and portfolio development.

Year three (or four if placement year taken)
This combines knowledge, expertise and individual approaches to weave and knit design through a major project that supports a chosen career path. You also undertake assignments related to the latest textile product innovations and market trends.

The course concludes with local and national exhibitions of final project work and fabric collections.

Mixed Media Textiles pathway (BA Honours)
This is a surface manipulation pathway focusing on the creation of contemporary, innovative collections of textiles and products, with interior and fashion applications. An individual approach reflects textural, tactile, 2D and 3D qualities, and uses processes such as heattransfer, stitch (hand, machine and digital), fabric manipulation and textile construction.

Year two
You will establish individuality through diverse experimentation with materials and textile processes. Links with industry and live projects ensure contemporary relevance and innovative design. You have the opportunity to engage with current design practices, nationally and internationally.

Year three
External and individually negotiated briefs areundertaken to inform the development of textiles collections and products. Dynamic ideas are encouraged and realised during this final year. Personal career aspirations and the ability to promote your own practice is an active part of the curriculum.

Printed Textiles pathway (BA Honours)
This pathway focuses on inventive use of printing and dyeing processes by translating imagery onto a variety of textile surfaces. Flocking, embossing, laminating and digital printing are just some of the possibilities. Project briefs explore fashion, interiors, site specific textiles, greetings cards and gift wrap, leading to varied careers as freelance and industry print designers.

Year two
Explore the application of drawing as a fundamental design tool through a variety of internal and external project briefs. You develop your imagemaking skills through design briefs which explore printed textiles for fashion, interiors, greeting cards and gift wrap.

Year three
You use concepts and approaches to design which reflect the aspirations and influences covered in year two. With this focus, you negotiate an individual course of study in consultation with tutors, through national and international external projects and the major project brief.

Facilities
You share a lively studio area, which is used for drawing and painting. A large print room is dedicated to the course, with extensive facilities for dyeing and printing processes. The course is also equipped with a digital fabric printing facility and a CAD area. There is open access to sewing machines, paper-making, felt-making, batik and tapestry weaving facilities during term time.

Teaching and assessment
Teaching is wide-ranging and includes lectures, demonstrations, individual and group tutorials, seminars, laboratory work, critical reviews, presentations and self-directed studio practice.

Assessments for Constructed Textiles vary and can be continuous or at the end of the module. Assessment for Mixed Media and Printed Textiles is largely through practice-based projects. Written elements include reports, essays, critical evaluations and documentation of materials and processes. Visits to exhibitions are encouraged and can form an aspect of assessment.

Awards and competitions
Each year students participate in various national and international competitions such as the RSA Student Design Awards and New York SURTEX Exhibition Design competition. Their work has been exhibited in showcases such as The Discerning Eye, and selected for Licentiates with the Society of Designer Craftsmen, One Year On, New Designers and Graduate Showcase with the Embroiderers’ Guild.

Career opportunities
Opportunities for Constructed Textiles graduates include careers in woven and knitted textile design, freelance design, textile technology, buying and production, textile designer/maker and teaching. A wide range of careers are open to Mixed Media and Printed Textiles graduates. These include freelance designer/makers, private and public commission work, gallery exhibitions, designers for industry, teaching, demonstrators, artist-inresidence, art therapy, gallery and retail opportunities and arts promotion. Many of our graduates work successfully as freelance print designers for fashion, interiors, cards and giftwrap with companies such as Hallmark, George, Jack Jones Studio, Lucy Woodhouse Studio, Gilbey and Cheyne, Tiger Print, Warner Fabrics, Osborne & Little, H&M and Taylor and McArdle.

“We had the opportunity to work closely with commercial textile businesses to fulfil design briefs, which provided a valuable insight into our future career paths.” Kelly McRobie, Textile Design (Mixed Media) BA (Hons), prize winner in the Society of Dyers and Colourists’ International Design competition.

Other courses of interest
If you’re interested in this course, also see:

Student news 
News: Textile Society Award for Textile Design Student
News: Textiles Design graduate pulls Embroiderers Guild Scholarship

Electronic Publication
View the Art + Design Undergraduate Prospectus 2010. Flash required.

 

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