How to Learn Textile Designing
Those with a love of fabrics and a flair for design may consider entering the field of textile design as a career. Textile design is a specialized field of art and fashion design that deals with the creation of patterns and prints used in the fashion, interior design, furnishings and carpeting industries. The designs may be printed, knitted or woven and may incorporate a variety of materials. Educational pathways for textile design are usually an associate degree or bachelor's degree in textiles or in art with a textile design emphasis. Work in the field requires creativity and abilities to work with others and under deadlines.
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Instructions
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How to Learn Textile Designing
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Enroll in a school with a textile design program. These programs may be found at fashion design and merchandising schools, as part of art school curricula or in specialized programs of design. Many of these schools offer an associate degree in textile design. Other schools offer both a bachelor's degree program and a master's degree program. Courses within the bachelor's degree program include general education classes such as science, sociology, writing and art, along with textile industry classes, foundations of design, history of textiles, knitting, weaving and computer-aided design classes. Design electives and seminars may also be included in coursework.
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Gain an internship with a textile design company. It is often challenging to gain entry in the textile and fashion design industry, so it is helpful for beginning designers to work under seasoned professionals in an internship capacity for low or no wages in order to gain experience. This can be helpful for learning basic industry information and for networking with others in the industry. Internships often can lead to offers of full-time, paid employment with the company.
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Become an expert at computer-aided design. Many software programs for textile design are on the market. Your expertise in new software and technologies can make you a better designer and a more valuable employee.
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Keep increasing your design skills. New designers should continue honing their design skills with as many classes and seminars as possible on a variety of subjects. Designers must stay informed of new trends in the fashion and home-furnishings industries. Learning new textile techniques can add to your knowledge and make you more valuable for employment as a designer.
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Tips & Warnings
Look for opportunities in foreign countries. Many textile companies are in foreign countries that use low-cost labor for manufacturing, according to DegreeDirectory.org. Learning a foreign language can help you increase your ability to work as a designer worldwide.
References
- Photo Credit textiles image by Skeboo from Fotolia.com
