The Surface Pattern and Textiles portfolio gives a practice rich experience, focussed around creating exciting and innovative surfaces and structures for a breadth of contemporary design contexts. This is done through a sustained and staged induction of a professional design process across the 3 or 4 years. This is a blend of ideas, research, drawing & making, reflective practice and a wide variety of presentation formats.

The programme is structured, so our learners experience a breadth of processes and practices that are applied to their chosen specialism (Maker, Fashion or Interiors) whilst maintaining an approach relevant to contemporary design practice. 


From the outset you will participate in a range of working methods and learning environments supported by a dedicated team: study visits, research, drawing, designing, making, digital and analogue printing methods, dyeing and colouration, tutorials, contextual practice, live projects, competitions, industry experience, exhibitions, self-promotion and portfolio preparation. When you leave us, you are workplace ready!

Year 1 is teaching intensive, introducing you to a variety of new ways of learning, a breadth of material processes, visual studies practice, and forward looking design thinking.  These are addressed through pathway and programme specific projects, and also through wider, Swansea College of Art cohort experiences in contextual studies and our graduate attribute modules. Elements of contextual studies and the graduate attribute modules are in a blended learning style enhancing your digital skills in parallel to your practice based modules.

You will experience a rich and varied programme, designed around the three pathways, enabling you to gain and develop skills in surface treatment and construction methods.  Printed textiles, colouration and Adobe creative cloud workshops deliver the skills for the Majors.  Whilst workshops designed for making give you the opportunity to explore materials in a broad sense, enabling you to work both two and three-dimensionally.

Contextual studies and the graduate attribute modules are designed to underpin your studio practice.

Year 2 builds on year 1, echoing the ‘shape’ of the module structure. The design project work at this level encourages you to take risks, to analyse, to challenge conventions and to evaluate your individual approach.  You are supported in the development of your ideas with an emphasis on pushing towards innovation and expansion of your own creative voice.

You will continue to advance your practice through live projects, competitions, workshop activities and advanced methods in a wide range of digital and material processes. Contextual studies develops your understanding of historical and contemporary art and design theories and prepares you for the Independent Project module in level 6.

The Graduate Attribute module introduces you to the employment context that you are working towards and offers practical workshops in teamwork, problem solving, and building a professional online presence.  External liaison projects are targeted between levels 5 and 6 giving you the opportunity to make contacts, build networks take research trips or go on a placement, giving you a flavour of future possibilities.

Year 3 asks you to contextualise your studio practice in response to your personal preferences, your skillset, your strengths and ambitions, your scope for innovation, and your external and live project experiences to date.  This is done through a significant personal major project and another live project. The Independent Project module contextualises your studio practice through an extended piece of writing and offers you the opportunity to delve more deeply into the ideas and concepts that you are investigating. The year culminates in a body of work or design collection that fully expresses your creative journey as a designer or maker, and is exhibited in a public or virtual space; the Degree Show. 

Professional promotion workshops take place to bolster the exit strategy of the individual.