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Textile Designer

Textile designers create two-dimensional designs that can be produced in a design repeat for commercial or artistic use. They work in knit, weave and print, creating designs that may be used in the production of fabrics or textile products.

Textile designers may specialise in soft furnishings or fashion fabrics or work in both areas. Their area of specialism can depend on the organisation for which they work.

They may also work in related fields, especially those where a design repeat is part of the process of production, for example wrapping paper, packaging, greetings cards, ceramics or floor or wall coverings.

Typical work activities include:

making up sets of sample designs;
producing sketches and design ranges for presentation to customers;
liaising with customers to plan and develop designs;
accurately interpreting and representing clients' ideas;
working independently if self-employed or liaising closely with colleagues as part of a small team;
using specialist computer aided design (CAD) software to produce a range of designs;
experimenting with colour, fabric and texture;
keeping up to date with fashion trends in fabric design by reading forecasts in trade magazines and using resources such as TextileWeb;
maintaining up-to-date knowledge of new and developing design and production techniques;
developing new design concepts;
ensuring that projects are completed on time;
visiting sites and other sources of ideas for designs;
sourcing fabrics and other materials at trade fairs, markets and antique shops;
attending trade shows, as a delegate or as an exhibitor. This may involve representing the company with a display/stand or appraising the work of competitors;
developing a network of business contacts;
assessing and approving completed items;

· managing marketing, finances and day-to-day business activities, if working on a self-employed basis.

Range of typical starting salaries: £11,000 - £18,000 (salary data collected Oct 03).

Range of typical salaries at age 40: £20,000 - £32,000 (salary data collected Oct 03).

Salaries vary depending on geographical location and type of employer. A good junior designer can move on and expect to earn £25,000 in three to four years' time. Design directors can earn between £25,000 - £40,000 (salary data collected Oct 03).

Working hours typically include regular extra hours but not weekends or shifts.

Working conditions may vary between factories, from Victorian to modern purpose-built buildings, in either backrooms or smart design studios.

Freelancers or craftpersons/designers may work from home or workshops and must be able to adapt to irregular working patterns.

Freelancing is the common route after graduation and provides valuable opportunities to build up a portfolio of work and make contacts.

Long-term self-employment is an option, though setting up your own business in addition to maintaining design work is demanding and can take time.

Jobs are quite widely available throughout the UK, but there is a greater concentration of offices/studios in London. They are also found in Scotland, the North West and Midlands but not exclusively.

It is possible for new graduates to obtain their first jobs in Italy, France or America, particularly in fashion design where valuable experience can be gained working with well-known designers before starting work in the UK.

Women account for approximately 75-80% of the workforce.

Working alone and to short deadlines can be stressful and there is constant pressure to produce new ideas.

Using your creative abilities within a commercial environment requires the ability to cope if a particular piece of work is not well received by a client.

Patience and perseverance are important personal qualities because successful career development takes time in this industry.

Whether working on a freelance basis or for a company, there is a lot of pressure to make new contacts by visiting trade fairs and other events.

Competition for work is intense because of the imbalance between numbers of applicants and available jobs. The shift of the textiles trade from the UK to the East has also had an impact on the availability of work.

Career success depends on a combination of creative flair and business acumen.

Travel within a working day and absence from home at night is occasional.

Overseas work or travel is frequent.

Information taken from Prospects www.prospects.ac.uk for more information

Courses

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College
Duchy College Cornwall (7)
(2)
Bridgwater College (2)
University College Falmouth (1)
Truro College (1)
Plymouth College of Art and Design (1)
Penwith College (1)
Cornwall College St Austell (1)
Cornwall College Camborne (1)
Yeovil College (1)
Arts Institute Bournemouth (1)
Exeter College (1)

Subject
Textiles (18)
Fashion (4)
Media (1)
Art (1)
Graphic Design (1)
Multimedia (1)

Qualification
AS (7)
C&G (7)
A Level (6)
BA (Hons) (2)
Foundation Degree (2)
HND (2)