What is Textile Design ?

Textile design is not the same as textile production, although textile designers would benefit from working with various fabrics and materials. Textile designers create designs on textiles and they use fabrics, cloth, and upholstery to fashion a wide range of products. Textiles are the basis of linens, bathing products, fashion, interior design, and furniture. And, textiles have grown up to branch out into installation art.

So many different types of cloth and fibers are available today that many textile designers often specialize in a specific area. One textile designer might work with knit designs, while other designers might create the patterns that you see on cotton or hemp fabrics. Still other textile designers might work with textiles that other designers have created to form new designs and patterns. Some of these jobs entail programming software to create designs or programming machines to create new fabric patterns. In many cases, textile designers work with dyes to crate new designs and patterns.

Some textile designers may branch out into pattern design. This field pertains to more then fashion design, as patterns are used to create upholstery for furniture as well. Designers in this field work with knits, natural and manmade fibers, leather and manmade fabrics, and even with metals. The combination of fabrics, fibers, and other materials is what can make this field exciting for many who choose to work as creatively as possible.

A person who enters the field of textile design can enter from within the field or as a graduate from a design school that focuses on textile design. The person who enters this field as an employee has the knowledge of a specific fabric under his or her belt. This allows that person the advantage of understanding how that specific fabric will respond to various treatments and uses.

The person who comes into this field at entry level must have classes in color theory, pattern design (different than pattern making), and a basic knowledge of most fabrics and materials. This knowledge can be obtained through courses that focus specifically on textiles. Often, you might find fashion designers or interior designers who gravitate to textile design to enhance their design ideas. On the other hand, many textile designers may enter the fields of fashion or interior design for the same reason to expand upon their design ideas.