← Fashion & Textile Technology syllabus

ScotlandFashion & Textile Technology

Consumer and Design

4 dot points across 4 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

What do consumers want from a fashion or textile item, and which factors decide what they choose to buy?

Consumer requirements and the factors affecting consumer choice of fashion and textile items: needs and wants, function and performance, aesthetics, fashion and trends, cost and value for money, quality, brand, ethical and environmental concerns, and individual needs.
An SQA Higher Fashion and Textile Technology answer on consumer requirements, covering the factors that affect consumer choice of fashion and textile items, including function, aesthetics, fashion, cost, quality, brand, ethics and individual needs, and how they shape design.
12 min answer →

What visual tools do designers use to make a fashion or textile item look right, and how do they apply them?

The elements of design (line, shape, colour, texture, pattern, tone) and the principles of design (balance, proportion, emphasis, rhythm, harmony, contrast) and how they are applied to create the aesthetics of a fashion or textile item.
An SQA Higher Fashion and Textile Technology answer on the elements and principles of design, explaining line, shape, colour, texture and pattern and the principles of balance, proportion, emphasis, rhythm, harmony and contrast, and how designers apply them to a textile item.
12 min answer →

How do you judge whether a finished fashion or textile item is a success, and how do you improve it?

Evaluating fashion and textile items: testing and judging a finished item against the design specification and consumer needs, using objective tests and user feedback, identifying strengths and weaknesses, and suggesting improvements.
An SQA Higher Fashion and Textile Technology answer on evaluation, explaining how to judge a finished item against the design specification and consumer needs using objective tests and user feedback, identify strengths and weaknesses, and suggest improvements.
12 min answer →

How does a designer turn a brief into a finished fashion or textile item through the design process?

The design process and the design brief: writing a brief and a specification, researching and analysing, generating and developing ideas, planning and making, and evaluating, as the structured way of developing a fashion or textile item.
An SQA Higher Fashion and Textile Technology answer on the design process, explaining the design brief and specification, research and analysis, generating and developing ideas, planning and making, and evaluation as the structured route from brief to finished textile item.
12 min answer →