Textile Design

Textile design is the creative discipline concerned with the design and development of fabrics and surface patterns for fashion, interiors, and technical applications. It sits at the intersection of art and craft, drawing on colour theory, material knowledge, and pattern construction alongside an understanding of the industries and markets that use textiles. Designers in this field work with woven, knitted, printed, and embroidered fabrics, and increasingly with digital and sustainable design processes that are transforming how textiles are conceived and produced.

At Nottingham Trent University in Nottingham, this three-year full-time degree develops your creative and technical abilities in a department with strong industry connections and a reputation for producing graduates who go directly into practice. You will study colour, pattern, and surface design, weave and knit construction, print techniques, CAD and digital design tools, material innovation, and the business and contextual knowledge needed to work in the textiles industry. Studio work is central, and you will build a portfolio of projects that demonstrate your creative range and technical competence.

The programme encourages critical reflection on your practice and awareness of sustainability, cultural influences, and the changing nature of the global textiles market.

Graduates in textile design go on to work as textile designers, surface pattern designers, print designers, weave and knitwear designers, and trend forecasters for fashion brands, interior design companies, home furnishing manufacturers, and technical textiles suppliers. Many graduates move into freelance practice or continue to postgraduate study to deepen their creative research. The combination of artistic vision and technical knowledge the degree develops is valued across the full breadth of the textiles, fashion, and design industries.