Incorporating Universal Design: Evaluating Its Role in Textile Design Education for Accessible Home Textiles

Universal design (UD) is a design philosophy that offers effective concepts and tools to help designers develop accessible products, services, and environments. Despite the growing need for inclusive design strategies, UD is not typically integrated into design education, particularly textile design. Textile design is associated with the process of utilising aesthetic and technical elements to develop fabrics but is rarely seen as a contributor to solutions in the realm of inclusivity. This study explores students' understanding of accessibility in the context of textile design and the impact of integrating UD into a textile design project. Thirty-one Bachelor of Science students majoring in textile design participated in a one-day workshop on UD and completed a project focused on applying the principles of UD to a home textile collection. Student mind maps and design projects were examined to assess their understanding of how textiles and accessibility intersect as well as the application of UD principles to design projects. Results show that students leveraged design elements in textiles, such as colour and texture, as communication tools, therapeutic interventions, and elements that contribute to the function and safety of a space. However, the low use of certain principles in the UD framework demonstrates that further examination on the application of UD to textile design is also merited. It is possible that modifications to the UD framework may be located to increase applicability to the field of textiles and textile design education.