The Course
Our Textile Design degree course has an exceptional reputation for producing commercially engaged creative designers. Amplify your passion for drawing, colour, and materials to become a dynamic designer in this exciting and diverse industry.
Supported by a team of specialists, this course offers an exciting mix of practical workshops and design thinking. We enable you to explore your ideas through drawing, colour, design investigation, and surface and material experimentation.
You will work within the Textile Design studio, an inspirational and stimulating environment. The studio is the centre of our community, where students draw, paint, design, share and test ideas. You will also have access to other practical facilities such as our printmaking, ceramics rooms and 3D workshops.
We encourage you to establish an individual design identity, becoming confident and accomplished in developing print-focused outcomes. Applications can be seen across textiles and surfaces such as fabric for fashion, interior products, gifting, and architectural settings. You will gain experience of working with industry through a combination of exciting live briefs, international competitions, and employment opportunities via our professional network.
Traditional and crafted techniques, including screenprint and printmaking, are taught alongside cutting-edge digital design practices, surface embellishment, and manipulation processes including Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign, AVA CAD/CAM, Wacom tablets for digital drawing and Laser Cutters. Practical work is underpinned by context - developing an awareness of global issues and ethical concerns such as sustainability and intellectual property. Textile Design is an employability focused course. Employability, enterprise and entrepreneurship underpin teaching and learning on all modules.
*The placement year is subject to approval.
The Course
Your first year is about experimentation. We introduce you to various themes and core skills in creative thinking and making, digital design, and print. We will help you identify, develop, and express your creative interests, aesthetic sensibilities, and approaches to creative practice. We offer design-related workshops, peer-to-peer learning, and student collaboration opportunities that give you industry-relevant skills and experiences.
Course Facilities
BA (Hons) Textile Design students are based in a large, purpose-built studio which includes sewing machines and a heat press. First year students have access to a shared space, whilst second and third-year students are given their own space in which to work.
Students will have access to a wide range of resources with a drop-in facility so work can be undertaken, provided resource inductions have been completed. For Textile Design students this will include print resources which provides excellent facilities for bookmaking and paper-based printmaking using a range of processes; access to laser cutters; professional-standard, large-format digital printing and print finishing and a vinyl cutter enabling designs to be cut from many types of vinyl.
Textile Design students will also be able to borrow a range of photography equipment including digital SLR cameras for still and moving image, lighting, and a range of support equipment, which can be used in our lighting studios or off-site. Computer suites house networks of Apple Mac computers featuring regularly updated, industry-standard software for a wide range of creative applications that support all our courses and a purpose-built specialist library which includes including special collections of artists’ books, photobooks and illustrated books as well as the University archive. Self service facilities are available throughout, supported by a dedicated and experienced team of library staff.
BA (Hons) Textile Design
Virtual Tour
Study Abroad
Studying abroad can help Leeds Arts University students gain valuable experience, broaden their horizons, develop international networks and experience their practice from a different perspective. Leeds Arts University has a global network of international partner universities in 15 different countries. Students can apply for a semester abroad in their second year of study.
Accolades
Students won national and international design awards in 2023 such as The New Designers Pattern Cloud Award for Innovative Display, national winner for SDC’s International Design Competition, 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes in i-dott’s Surface Pattern Design Competition, and winners of the Bradford Textile Society awards.
Career Opportunities
Our graduates have secured jobs in textile print for fashion and interior; design for products and home furnishings; wallpaper design; flooring and carpets; greeting cards, gift wrap and stationery; media and publishing; product and packaging; trend forecasting and research; fashion marketing; styling; buying; and numerous other creative careers. Others set up their own businesses, producing work as freelance designers, working for private commissions or major brands. Graduates may also continue on to postgraduate study.