Textile Design

The Majors provide a comprehensive foundation across the principal dimensions of textile design, combining material understanding, technical processes and creative expression. Students engage with weaving, print design, dyeing, surface embellishment, colour, materials and textile applications, developing both hand and digital skills through studio and laboratory practice. The curriculum integrates traditional textile knowledge with contemporary technologies, material exploration, digital visualisation and sustainable practices. Through progressive projects and industry engagement, students learn to translate concepts into textile outcomes for apparel, interiors and lifestyle applications while developing an individual design language and understanding of the cultural, functional and commercial contexts of textiles.

Department Electives enable students to explore contemporary and emerging areas of textile design while developing individual areas of interest. Students may engage with Colour, Material and Finish (CMF), Trend Research and Forecasting, Textile Storytelling, Curation and Archiving, Material Innovation, Interactive and Smart Textiles, and Craft–Technology Collaborations, among other areas. The electives connect material exploration, research, technology, culture and design thinking through studio projects, material studies, research investigations and collaborative learning. Sustainability and responsible innovation remain integral, encouraging students to consider circularity, material responsibility, ethical practice and meaningful engagement with communities.

The Department of Textile Design offers two Interdisciplinary Minors (IDMs)—Textile Structure and Surface for undergraduate students and Textile Manufacturing for postgraduate students. The undergraduate minor introduces students to textile structures, colours and surfaces through weaving, dyeing, printing and creative experimentation, supported by contemporary textile trends and digital visualisation. The postgraduate minor develops understanding of textile materials, manufacturing processes, quality evaluation, sourcing and global production practices, including fibres, yarns, fabrics, textile testing and performance evaluation. Students enrolled in Textile Design may, in turn, pursue Interdisciplinary Minors offered by other academic departments to broaden their learning beyond their primary discipline.

General Electives provide opportunities to explore areas of knowledge beyond the primary discipline, encouraging intellectual curiosity and interdisciplinary learning. Offered across a range of subjects, these courses broaden perspectives, strengthen critical thinking and support the development of transferable skills. By engaging with diverse academic, creative and societal contexts, students gain a well-rounded educational experience that complements their disciplinary knowledge and prepares them for the evolving demands of professional practice.