Textiles and Design Q&A by dot point

The marketing of textile products in the marketplace, including product planning, place and distribution, price structure and promotion, and how the marketing mix is used to reach a target market

The structure, scale and sectors of the Australian Textile, Clothing, Footwear and Allied Industries (ATCFAI), the factors affecting its operation, and the impact of globalisation and technology

Environmental sustainability, the impacts of textile production and consumption, ethical issues such as labour and fast fashion, and how the industry and consumers are responding

The work, inspiration, design features and significance of selected contemporary textile and fashion designers, including their use of materials and technologies, their target market and end use, and their influence on trends and the textile industry

The communication techniques used to record and present design ideas, including illustration, technical drawing, computer aided design, sample boards and presentation, and how each supports the development and justification of a textile item

The design elements and principles, and how they are applied to fabric, colour and form to communicate the aesthetic intent of a textile item

The functional and aesthetic requirements of textiles for different end uses across the focus areas, and how user, environment and performance needs are matched to appropriate fibre, yarn, fabric, construction and finish choices

Historical design, cultural design factors and the work of contemporary designers, and how these influences inform inspiration, motifs and meaning in textile items

The design process: investigating, devising, producing and evaluating, and how each stage is documented in supporting documentation for a textile item

The development of a Major Textiles Project in the apparel focus area, including the functional and aesthetic demands of garments, fit and movement, fabric and construction choices, and the techniques and documentation appropriate to apparel

The development of a Major Textiles Project in the costume focus area, including the demands of character, performance and stage conditions, research into period or theme, fabric and construction choices, and the techniques and documentation appropriate to costume

The development of a Major Textiles Project in the furnishings focus area, including the functional demands of interior textiles, durability and care, fabric and construction choices, and the techniques and documentation appropriate to furnishings

The management of the Major Textiles Project, including planning time and resources, the statement of intent and design criteria, organising and presenting supporting documentation, and meeting the marking criteria

The development of a Major Textiles Project in the non-apparel focus area, including the functional demands of items such as bags and accessories, strength and structure, fabric and construction choices, and the techniques and documentation appropriate to non-apparel

The development of a Major Textiles Project in the textile arts focus area, including conceptual and aesthetic intent, exploration of surface and structural techniques, fabric and material choices, and the documentation appropriate to a textile artwork

The development of the Major Textiles Project in a chosen focus area (apparel, furnishings, costume, textile arts or non-apparel), the role of supporting documentation, and the criteria against which the project and documentation are marked

The purpose and effect of mechanical and chemical fabric finishes and of colouration techniques such as dyeing and printing, and how they change the appearance, properties and performance of a fabric

The classification, structure and physical and chemical properties of natural and manufactured fibres, and how those properties affect the performance and end use of a textile item

Innovations and emerging textile technologies in fibres, yarns, fabrics and finishes, including smart and technical textiles, and how these innovations extend the performance and end use of textile items

The testing and evaluation of textile properties and performance, including strength, abrasion, colourfastness, shrinkage, flammability and care testing, and how test results are used to judge a fabric against the requirements of its end use

The structure of yarns and the main methods of fabric construction (weaving, knitting and non-woven), and how each affects the appearance, properties and performance of the resulting fabric