The word ‘design’ is a popular contemporary term which has different connotations and meanings assigned to it. Very often it is used for high fashion dress and its accessories. In fabrics, it is associated with the colour scheme, or more specifically, the print on it. However, it does not give the complete picture. Design is not mere decoration. The most aesthetically pleasing object cannot be considered well designed if it is not functional or not appropriate to its usage. Design has several meanings. In the broadest sense, it can be described as harmony in form. The most important aspect of design, however, lies in the meaning and use of the designers’ creative urge and expression and therefore, the greatest harmony is achieved only when the aesthetic aspect of good design is truly integrated with the utility of the object which has been created. Thus, we can say that “Design is the human power to conceive, plan, and realise products that serve human beings in the accomplishment of any individual or collective purpose.” A good design is more than aesthetically pleasing. It is the right use of materials to give what people expect in price, colour and service.

Design Analysis: Design is an arrangement according to a plan for the creation of a desired object. It goes one step further than the functional part of planning and produces a result which gives aesthetic satisfaction. It is studied in two aspects, viz. Structural and Applied.

Structural design is that which depends on form and not superimposed ornamentation. In fabric production, it takes into account the basic processing of fibre, types of fibres and yarns, variations of weaving, knitting, etc., and the stages at which colour is added. In dress, it refers to the basic cut or silhouette of the garment. Applied design is the part of the design that has been superimposed on the basic structure. On fabric finishes, dyeing and printing, embroidery, and fancy needlework can change the appearance. On garments, it includes trims and notions (fasteners) which add to the value of the final product. Fabric Design and Dress Design are as much an Art as Architecture, Painting or Sculpture, thus the same Grammar of Art is applicable.

Elements of Design are the tools of the Art. These are colour, texture, and line, shape or form. The elements of design are manipulated to create harmony, balance, rhythm, proportion and emphasis. These are the Principles of Design.

Colour: Colour is all around us in many forms. It is one of the most important aspects of all textile materials — be it for apparel, household, commercial or institutional use. The identity of the product is most often attributed to colour. Everyone responds to colour and has definite preferences. Colour reflects the season, events and the spirit of people. The choice is affected by culture, tradition, climate, season, occasion or purely personal reason. Colour is an important part of Fashion. Designers carefully choose fabric colours to make a definite statement.

Texture: Texture is the sensory impression of sight and touch and refers to the tactile and visual qualities of the material. Each material has a distinctive texture (whether textile or otherwise). Texture can be described in terms of — How it looks — shiny, dull, opaque, dense, transparent, translucent, glossy; How it behaves — hangs limp, stiff, sticking out, clinging, flowing out; How it feels — soft, crisp, harsh, smooth, rough, coarse, grainy, pebbly.