Digital Surface Design Certificate

Digital Surface Design Certificate is a professional certificate that offers training in pattern design and overall digital surface design principles through widely-used industry applications. Have you ever wanted to design creative patterns to print on surfaces like apparel, fabric, wallpaper, stationary, and other consumer products?  Or are you looking to break into or currently working in the digital design, textile, interior furnishing, or fashion industry and want to learn how to make digital repeat patterns? Our local faculty have the professional experience to provide you with an understanding of current industry needs and technical skills for designing and presenting your original designs.   

Who should earn this certificate?

• Has an interest in digital design and would like to use their creativity to design patterns that can be printed on surfaces like fabric, glass, metal, wood or tile 
• Digital artists, fashion designers, and textile designers, who would like to learn the technical side of setting up repeat patterns
• Anyone who aspires to work in creative roles in industries such as textile, fashion, interior furnishings 
• Demonstrates a basic proficiency with Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator.

Skill-based approach

Through creative projects and exercises, you will build your skills in all phases of drawing and design by mastering these two industry-standard professional tools, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop.

What you will learn

You will learn various technical skills, including creating motifs, colorway creation, seamless repeat designs, different repeat styles, designing with beading and embroidery, and the best application to use for different styles of art. You will create projects that are design-driven and portfolio-ready. You will be able to present your artwork in a way that is primed for the marketplace, expanding your marketability as an artist or designer.

Professional Advantage

Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator are very integral to any digital artist's job.  Employers looking to hire for any type of creative position will require Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator proficiency to fill the opening.  By earning this certificate,  you build the knowledge and skills employers demand and can get a leg up on the competition.

Jobs Needing This Skillset

Those who earn this certificate could have a career in the following professions: 

• Surface Designer (Apparel, Home Dec or similar)
• Textile Designer/Colorist
• CAD Artist
• Graphic Artist

About the Instructor

Katy Dika has poured her love of patterns into her work as an in-house and freelance surface designer for over 17 years, creating artwork for brands such as Iris Apfel, Talbots, Coldwater Creek, and numerous others. In addition to creating original prints, she has spent a significant amount of her career purchasing surface design pieces for use in many product lines, giving her a unique perspective on the industry of both artist and buyer.  Katy enjoys teaching others about surface design via her courses at the Rhode Island School of Design, her private coaching practice, and now Lasell University. 

Digital Surface Design (FASH929)

The curriculum is designed to help students learn how to create surface design, including repeated patterns using two of the most commonly used industry applications, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop. Surface pattern design has applications in industries including apparel, home decor, children’s products, paper goods and others.

Students will gain a firm foundation of the design principles relating to textile/surface design and the tools used to create them, as well as gain an understanding of some of the manufacturing processes used to produce these designs on products in the industry. They will learn various technical skills, including working with hand or digitally-made artwork and using Illustrator and Photoshop to create seamless repeat designs and spot embellishment layouts such as beading or embroidery.

In addition, layout design, color development, finishing and professional presentation techniques are covered. Students will create product design-driven, portfolio-ready projects. Allowing them to present their artwork in a way that is ready for the marketplace, expanding their marketability as an artist or designer.

Dates offered:

• January 13 - April 29, 2025 (Spring Session I)

Cost: $1,195

It takes just 10 minutes to register.  See below and click on the number of registrations you want and click "checkout."