Textiles and Design

With a rich heritage spanning over 140 years, the Design School at Heriot-Watt University has been a pioneer in design innovation, seamlessly blending traditional techniques with state-of-the-art materials. Our mission is to become the premier hub for sustainable design innovation and inclusive education, sparking curiosity and creativity among forward-thinking individuals and communities.

Our design programmes are geared towards industry relevance, addressing the evolving needs of society and environmental sustainability. Aligned with Dubai’s commitment to sustainable development and economic progress, our curriculum incorporates hands-on learning experiences such as case studies, laboratories, and workshops. We offer three specialized undergraduate courses including Communication Design, Fashion Branding and Promotion, and Interior Architecture and Design, which focus on building an extensive, practical and theoretical knowledge and developing the students’ essential skills to further thrive in the design industry. Our postgraduate programmes include Interior Architecture and Design and Design Management, that are aimed to facilitate career change within the students’ journeys, upskill in an existing career and consolidate existing skills and subject knowledge.

With their quality teaching expertise and industry connections, our expert faculty brings top-notch teaching and industry insights into the classroom, creating a rich learning environment. With regular guest lectures and workshops from industry experts, internships and live projects, our students gain real-world exposure and experience. Students are encouraged to collaborate in teams and engage individually to develop and deliver a comprehensive design solution that meets industry standards. We also prioritise field trips, both local and international, along with seminars and masterclasses from experts. This comprehensive approach ensures our students not only learn but also embody the confidence to express their unique design perspectives.

Design Research

Design-led interdisciplinary collaboration is central to the School of Textiles and Design research.

By working within and across Heriot-Watt’s Global Research Institutes in Health Technologies, NetZero, Robotics, and Earth and Marine Sciences, academics and students at the School of Textiles and Design engage in innovation-focused inquiry to meet contemporary challenges in business, culture, technology, and society.

The school supports traditional, practice, and lab-based methodologies to advance knowledge across multiple domains, including material innovation, mobility, sustainable and circular design practices (for interior architecture, fashion, branding, policy, products and services), design management and leadership, health and wellbeing, inclusive design, media and communication, computational, and AI-driven design.

Our research mission champions impact and rigour equally and believes in the crucial role design must play in meeting sustainability and health imperatives, addressing technological advances and cultural challenges, and promoting social changes.

Spanning academic inquiry and real-world application, our research reinforces the design discipline’s capacity to create new knowledge, innovate, collaborate, and shape policy, thereby positively impacting industry and society.

Facilities

• Students at the School of Textiles and Design have access to cutting-edge facilities that enables them to unleash their creative potential, nurture their passion and foster innovation.
• Innovation lab (makers space with 3D printer and laser cutter)
• Photography Studio (with DSLR's, iPads, and gimbals)
• Computer Lab (with 31 pc units)
• State-of-art studios with 80 hi-res laptops
• Collaborative spaces
• Exhibition space with AR and VR facility
• Adobe Suite license provided to each student