Study programme

Textile Design

Part of the study course Fashion and Textile Design in the Design faculty

Textile design is a little odd in some regards, as the product is generally not yet the finished product. It only becomes finished when other designers decorate rooms with the material, design clothes with it or use it to cover car seats.

Above all, textile design is a very varied field – a material is not just the sum of various properties, but is also a complicated interplay of different characteristics that all have an impact. It can best be compared to a fabric itself: the individual fibres are not decisive, and the overall amount of it present is not critical either; instead, what is important is the way the fibres go together and the substance, colour and characteristics they have. It is this combination that ultimately decides on both function and quality. 

Textile design is very complex, but not at all complicated. You can touch, feel and look at the material, and even smell and listen to it too! It is emotional and functional at the same time.

Textile design presents conceptual challenges that have to meet certain practical requirements in the context of the demands that society places on design. This involves historical references, current factors and visionary ideas too. On the other hand, the course requires very detailed specialist knowledge in all disciplines that deal with surfaces in order to be able to meet challenges in a case-specific manner.

Prof. Bettina Göttke-Krogmann

Textildesign ist sehr komplex, aber gar nicht kompliziert. Man kann den Stoff anfassen, anfühlen, anschauen, sogar riechen und hören. Er ist emotional und funktional zugleich. 

Textildesign stellt konzeptionelle Aufgaben, die auf dem Hintergrund gesellschaftlicher Anforderungen an die Gestaltung, die praktischen Erfordernisse erfüllen müssen. Es geht dabei sowohl um historische Verweise, aktuelle Bezüge wie auch um visionäre Ideen. Auf der anderen Seite erfordert der Studiengang sehr detailliertes Fachwissen in allen, die Fläche berührenden Disziplinen, um die Aufgaben differenziert bearbeiten zu können. 

Prof. Bettina Göttke-Krogmann

Selected courses

Aim of the course

Conceptual design, research-oriented experimentation and the development of functional prototypes are the main focal points of design education at Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design Halle. Our core concerns are the experimental investigation of visionary material and product ideas and the broadening of the search for innovative solutions for products, spaces and clothing which combine aesthetics, sustainability and function in harmonious manner.

Alongside a solid basis in the technical fundamentals, project work is also of central importance in the Textile Design course. Various project topics are each associated with concrete requirements that are placed on the design and functions of textiles.

The aim of this course of study is to train textile designers with their own trademark artistic approaches. They should be able to combine individuality, craft quality, an awareness of problems and technical skill in their innovative concepts. In addition, they should also be able to harness their own potential in teams and also be capable of working independently in a responsible manner. Sensibility for form, colour and materials will be trained and developed in free practical exercises in design. The teaching of various approaches nurtures students’ confidence in developing conceptual designs and implementing these.

Teaching content

Over the standard duration of the Bachelor of Arts course of 8 semesters, specialised and increasingly complex issues will be dealt with. The spectrum ranges from clothing materials and decorative textiles right through to interior surfaces in cars. Students consider and investigate craft skills and traditional techniques in an intensive manner in order to establish a foundation for the mastery of textile technologies. Building on this, they then develop their own innovative interpretations in workshops at the university. Essential aesthetic and craft experience is acquired in the course of direct contact with material and manual techniques. In addition, lectures in the history of textiles, fabric structures, materials science and other areas are on offer alongside general design theory subjects.

Prerequisites

General qualification for university entrance, and artistic suitability.

Nine-month pre-university practical experience period in the areas of silkscreen textile printing, digital textile printing, weaving, embroidery, knitting, clothing textiles, technical textiles or home textiles. In exceptional cases, students can apply for the duration can be reduced. Completed vocational training in related professions will also be recognised in lieu of a pre-university practical experience period upon request. The general qualification for university entrance can be waived in cases of exceptional talent; this will be judged in the suitability test.

Degree

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Cooperation partners

We cooperate closely with the State Textile and Tapestry Factory (Staatlicher Textil- und Gobelinmanufaktur) in Halle as regards the use of workshops, the exchange of expertise, and joint projects.

The department also works with companies in the relevant industries and with textile research institutes. We also have close partnerships with: BMW, Munich; Hess Natur, Butzbach; Creation Baumann, Langenthal, Switzerland; Merck, Darmstadt; Keller AG, Wald, Switzerland, Madeira, Freiburg; Digital Media Point, Magdeburg; StrickChic, Apolda; Rohleder, Konradsreuth, Colortextil Frankenberg, Saxony; Seidenweberei Eschke and many others, and with the TITV Greiz and STFI Chemnitz textile research institutes. 

Internationally, there are strong links with the Textile Museum Tilburg in the Netherlands through the “European Textile Trainee” programme, with the GTZ technical cooperation service in Aleppo, Syria, through the “Aleppo Textile House” project, and with Mimar Sinan University in Istanbul, Turkey, thanks to joint projects. Our international contacts are continually being expanded.

In addition to the workshops, there is also a computer pool equipped with the Adobe Creative Suite and special software for realising textile designs (EAT, BasePac).

Research projects

Prerequisites

General qualification for university entrance, and artistic suitability. No specialist prior technical and craft skills are required. Exceptions: The general qualification for university entrance can be waived in cases of exceptional talent combined with professional experience.

Study Information Day

The university holds a Study Information Day in January every year for applicants. General information on the university is provided, and the various disciplines showcase themselves. You will be able to talk to students and to assistants. The precise date is announced on our website by mid-December at the latest.

Annual exhibition

The traditional summer festival, which includes the annual exhibition, is held every year in July at Burg Giebichenstein. The university opens up its studios, seminar facilities and workshops to all who are curious about the fresh ideas, objects and pieces of art that have been created in the various art and design disciplines at the state of Saxony-Anhalt's art university. You are cordially invited to come along!