Textile Design

BA (Hons) Textile Design at Hereford College of Arts is for creative makers who want to explore textiles through colour, pattern, structure, materiality and storytelling. You will experiment with both traditional and contemporary processes — including print, stitch, dye, weave, embroidery, digital design and mixed-media techniques — as you develop your own voice and approach to design.

Across three years, you will explore textiles as a craft and design discipline. You will build strong technical skills through hands-on material exploration, creative research and studio-based experimentation. A supportive and collaborative environment encourages curiosity, sustainable thinking and the confidence to develop distinctive textile outcomes for fashion, interiors, craft or installation contexts.

You will:

• Develop specialist skills in print, dye, stitch, weave and embroidery.

• Explore digital textile design, CAD tools and pattern development.

• Build confidence experimenting sustainability with materials, texture and colour.

• Create textile outcomes for fashion, interiors, installation or craft.

• Work on client briefs, collaborative projects and exhibitions.

• Build a unique professional portfolio aligned to your design ambitions.

Facilities
Access specialist print studios, dye labs, weaving looms, stitch workshops, embroidery machines, digital design suites and mixed-media textile spaces, alongside fabrication and digital workshops across the college. These include:

• Weave and 3D construction workshop

• Screen-print beds & dye lab

• Heat Presses / Digital Textiles Printing

• Laser Cut and 3D Printing workshops

• CAD software including Adobe Suite, Fusion & Blender

Industry Links
Learn from practising textile designers, makers, print specialists and material innovators through talks, workshops and portfolio reviews. Students collaborate with fashion designers, interior brands, the automotive industry, craft studios, heritage organisations and community partners, gaining experience through live briefs and public exhibitions. Course links include:

• Aston Martin – CMF Design Team

• Dash & Miller – Textile Design Studio

• Anna Podlewska – Freelance Print Design

• Flaxland – UK Fibre Producer

• Great Cotmarsh Farm – Regenerative Wool Farm and Micro-Tannery

Careers
Graduates progress into roles such as textile designer, surface pattern designer, print designer, colour specialist, textile artist, materials researcher, community practitioner or creative entrepreneur. You will build a portfolio that reflects strong material understanding and a clear personal design identity. Next steps for recent grads include:

• Colour and Material Designer at McLaren

• Channel & Kings Foundation Fellowship, Freelance Embroider

• Freelance Woven Textile Design

• Dash and Miller Internship

Sustainability & Ethical Practice
Explore sustainable and ethical approaches to textile design, including natural dyeing, low-impact materials, circular design approaches, regenerative fibre practices, slow craft, heritage skills and community-focused textile practices.

• Textiles Dye Garden – Collaboration between staff and students to explore natural dye from seed to textiles.

• Flaxland Live Brief – Developing new product innovations using UK Flax Fibres

• Regenerative Wool Project – Live brief in collaboration with Great Cotmarsh Farm

• Reuse and Repair Workshops in collaboration with Sustainable Fashion Week Bristol

External opportunities
Students can engage with international brands, craft festivals, design showcases, online platforms and material-innovation networks, broadening their creative and professional perspectives. These include:

• New Designers Graduate Exhibition

• Surface Design Show London

• Collect Craft Fair London

• Green Grads Network

• Crafts Council Directory

Subject to revalidation

Course Modules

From your first day at HCA you will work as a creative, developing your skills and your own voice through a series of projects. You will develop your creative practice, practical skills alongside your critical awareness and theoretical knowledge. You will study a range of modules that build your knowledge and confidence and total 120 credits each year.

YEAR ONE/Level 4: Practice in Context 1 (20 Credits), Practice 1 (30), Practice 2 (30), Foundations for Learning (20). Skills 1 (20)

YEAR TWO/Level 5: Practice in Context 2 (20), Practice 3 (30), Practice 4 (30), Professional Practice 1 (20), Skills 2 (20)

YEAR THREE/Level 6: Practice in Context 3 (20), Practice 5 (30), Practice 6 (60), Professional Practice 2 (10)

http://www.hca.ac.uk/courses/bahons-textile-design