Textile Design

Textiles are all around us. They facilitate the practical, make our lives comfortable and provide a means for expression. Textile design goes far beyond fashion and clothing – from our furniture, vehicles and homeware to art and virtual reality, textile designers’ influence is everywhere, and their mediums are limitless.

This textile design degree is for the creative, the experimental and the environmentally conscious. It’s for designers and artists alike, giving you the flexibility to trial all types of media and master traditional crafts side by side with the latest digital technologies. Many of our students go on to become industry trailblazers, prestigious award-winners and respected designers; study BA Textile Design at NTU, and you could join them.

With 92 million tonnes of textiles waste produced every year and the apparel industry’s global emissions set to increase by 50% by 2030, sustainable textile design has never been more important. On this course, conscious creativity comes first. You’ll become an agent of change, advocating for responsible design and future-proofing the industry.

Key features

• Work on briefs with top UK brands: Gain real-world experience by responding to live briefs from brands like Liberty London, Sainsbury’s, Ashley Wilde and Next. Build industry contacts and create commercially-aware design work that gets noticed.

• Industry-standard facilities: Make the most of industry-standard facilities across the School of Art & Design, with the same equipment and technologies used by major brands.

• Explore tech, craft and innovation: From bio-materials to generative AI, you’ll explore a huge range of tools, techniques and ideas. Enjoy hands-on workshops in natural dyes, 3D printing, digital design, ceramics and more, with expert staff to support you.

• Present your work to industry: Exhibit your designs at graduate showcases attended by employers and design professionals. You may also have the chance to show your final collection at events like New Designers, a key launchpad for creative talent.

Employability

Over our 180-year history of teaching textile design – a course whose heritage lies in Nottingham’s famous lace industry – hundreds of our graduates have gone on to shape the textiles community and industry worldwide. By studying at NTU, you can continue this legacy.

The diverse nature of this textiles degree lends itself to a broad range of career paths and industries, like fashion, interiors, automotive and trend prediction. You could become one of the designers, makers and artists behind the textiles that surround us every day; you could go into buying, styling, merchandising and product development; or you could explore textiles research, develop sustainable solutions, or educate others. As you progress through the course, you’ll get a taste of all these things and discover where your interests, strengths and ambitions lie.

With a guaranteed minimum of 240 hours of work-like experience under your belt and countless networking opportunities, you’ll graduate from NTU with the skills and confidence to make an impact wherever you go.

Our recent graduates have gone on to become:

• Print Designers at ASOS, Habitat, Ashley Wilde and 304 Clothing

• Embroidery Designers at Burberry and Hermione De Paula

• Woven Textile Designers at Sage Automotive Interiors and Edward Thomas Interiors

• Assistant and Trainee Buyers at Next, Dunelm and Boohoo

• Marketing Executive at Aston Martin

• Design Assistants at Emilia Wickstead and Holmes Interiors

• Materials Graduate at Gymshark

Every NTU student can access tailored support from our award-winning Employability team for three years after you graduate, as well as our comprehensive online career resources for life. You can also benefit from our Graduate Employment Promise, which guarantees you a paid internship if you’re not in skilled work 12 months after graduation.

[Year One]

• Curiosity: Creative Exploration and Research (40 credit points, full year)
• Curiosity: Creative Development and Application for Textile Design (80 credit points, full year)

[Year Two]

• Directions: Industry and Context for Textile Design (40 credit points, first half of the year)
• Directions: Innovation and Transition for Textile Design (40 credit points, second half of the year)
• Co Lab: Research, Exploration and Risk-taking (20 credit points, second half of the year)
  Optional module. You will also choose one 20-credit module from:
• Slow Making and Craftmanship
• 3D Materials and Exploration
• Trend Forecasting
• Buying, Merchandising and Product Fundamentals
• Creative Entrepreneurship
• Drawing & Exploring with Natural Materials
• Ecological Futures: A Creative Response
• Fashion Styling

[Year three]
Optional Placement Year (Sandwich)*
We have an option for all of our students to undertake a placement year (Sandwich) and allow you to decide whether this is right for you once you have completed years 1 and 2 of your course. This time spent working in industry provides our students with crucial work experience, which is highly prized and much sought after by employers upon graduation. If you are successful in securing a placement you will have the chance to gain an additional Certificate or Diploma in Professional Practice, dependent on duration.

• If you choose to take the sandwich route option, you will still need to apply for this course with the full-time UCAS code.

[Final year]

• Resolutions: Culture and Context (20 / 40 credit points, full year)
• Resolutions: Practice and Context for Textile Design (100 / 80 credit points, full year)

People excel in different ways, and we want everybody to have the best possible chance of success. On this course you will be assessed on a range of individual and group presentations, and your final year project.

Year 1 coursework (100%).
Year 2 coursework (90%), practical exams (10%).
Year 3 coursework (100%).
Your work in Year Two accounts for 20% of your final degree mark, and your work in your final year accounts for the other 80%.