About the Certificate
In the Surface Design Certificate Program at Otis Extension you will create and develop prints and patterns that become the foundation for collections and product designs used across fashion, home décor, interior spaces, and more. The field of surface design spans multiple industries, including textiles and fabric, fashion apparel, home furnishings, wall and floor coverings, decorative papers, and a broad spectrum of products we use every day.
After completing the program, you will be prepared to begin a career or enhance your skills in the textile and surface design fields as a colorist, repeat artist, designer, or stylist. Learn from experienced professionals and artists, connect with a network of creatives, and receive career support, including career counseling, career assessment, internship advising, and employer networking opportunities. Ultimately, you will create a professional-quality portfolio demonstrating conceptual, design, and technical proficiency for a career in the surface design, fashion design, product design, and graphic design industries.
What You Will Learn:
- The process of designing and executing prints and patterns, including how to complete a collection
- Design methodologies, themes, and product areas central to surface and textile design
- Traditional and digital design methods
- Production techniques using color, sizing, and specification standards
- Business practices, including resume preparation, building a portfolio and website, marketing, revenue models, manufacturers, contracts, and copyrights
- Industry-standard tools, including Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and more
Prospective Student Resources
- Attend an Info Session for certificate details and a registration discount
- View a course planning document to learn more about course sequence and timelines
- Submit materials to waive a required course
- Review our policies and FAQs for answers to common questions, including refund schedules, information for international students, and details about various certificate processes
- Chat with us during drop-in hours: Wednesdays from 3:00-4:00 p.m. via Zoom
- Schedule an appointment with an Extension Advisor
- Email certificates@otis.edu with any questions
Program Costs
- Approximate Course Cost: $553*
- Total Number of Courses: 9
- Estimated Total Tuition: $4,977**
*Cost for an online course after certificate tuition discount. Upon submitting the
certificate application and fee, students qualify for a 15% tuition discount per course
at the time of enrollment.
**Cost after certificate tuition discount. Courses are individually priced. Tuition
and course fees are paid at the time of enrollment in each course. Total tuition is
not paid in advance or in a lump sum. Additional course fees or materials costs may
apply.
Eligibility and Requirements
Students must be 18+ years of age to enroll. No portfolio or prior experience is required.
Individuals interested in this certificate program can take up to two courses before committing to the program. Before beginning their third course, students are required to submit a Certificate Program Enrollment Application and a non-refundable $185 application fee.
Students are notified of their certificate application results three times per year according to the following dates:
- Between 8/6/2026 - 9/26/2026 for Fall 2026 start
Required Courses
Whether your interest is in producing a billboard, brochure, or poster, you need to start with the basics and become familiar with the digital tools of the trade. This hands-on course introduces students to print-specific digital applications that are the industry standard for design professionals —Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Acrobat, and Adobe InDesign.
Students explore new design concepts and themes for coordinated collections with a focus on finished product applications. Lectures include an overview of product types, design considerations for each type of material, and professional practice principles. Working closely with the instructor, students complete design collections and product designs for a specific industry, such as fashion, home décor, or niche market (as in baby/kids), with assignments tailored to the student's area of interest. Students learn design considerations for various products, printing techniques and technical requirements, and an overview of Surface Design business practices, including resume preparation, portfolio and website, marketing, revenue models, manufacturers, contracts, and copyrights.
This beginning course introduces students to design processes within the growing field of Surface Design with applications well beyond textiles, including fabric, paper, ceramic and a broad spectrum of products. Lectures include design methodology, design themes and styles, and examples of patterns by others. Assignments include research, sketching concepts, drafting and designing patterns.
Through designing their own prints and patterns, students learn the fundamentals of repeat patterns with aesthetic and technical considerations. Tools are demonstrated and explored including: drawing with pencils and markers, painting with gouache and watercolors, color mixing, design transfer methods, and using a ruling pen. Students complete finished pattern designs by theme including geometric, stripes, plaid, floral, paisley, animal, holiday and novelty. These individual patterns form the foundation for future collections and product designs.
This intermediate studio course builds on the fundamentals learned in Surface Design: Basics. Students explore new design concepts and themes for coordinated collections — a grouping of 4 to 6 patterns presented as a collection. Lectures include printing processes for a variety of materials and technologies, how to use the Pantone color system, and inspirational artist case studies. Assignments include research, making mood boards, sketching concepts and the development of pattern collections.
Students learn design problem solving approaches from initial concept to finished product. At this stage, students choose their own mediums and start to develop their individual styles. Students complete finished pattern collections by theme including floral, holiday, novelty and baby/kids. These collections form the foundation for future product designs.
This course focuses on the creative process of sketching, refining and finalizing pattern designs. Surface Design Digital Creation exposes students to many styles and techniques for creating new designs directly on the computer with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.
Complementing the hands-on studio techniques in Surface Design Techniques I-III coursework, students draw vector based patterns in Illustrator, learn digital painting in Photoshop using custom brushes, symbols and scripts for speeding up repetitive tasks and setting up templates. An overview of the application Procreate for the iPad Pro with Apple Pencil is covered.
Before a surface design goes to market, artwork needs to be prepared for many types of printing and color modes. Surface Design: Production exposes students to color and sizing specifications; manufacturing techniques; and standard formats for precise and seamless repeating patterns (such as full drop, half drop, brick, diamond, mirror and scattertoss repeats).
Students learn to prepare printing of paper, textiles, ceramics, plastics, vinyl and on-demand technologies as well as working with factory templates and specifications; managing color systems for digital and physical applications; and delivering artwork using online methods.
Explore essential tools and methodologies in the first of three techniques-based surface design courses. Using principles of design, color theory, and marketability, students cover the entire design process from initial motif conception to tear sheet presentations with pattern repeats and mock-ups. Bespoke techniques and materials include watercolors, acrylics, block printing, cyanotype, photographic alteration, alcohol, and India inks, which are used to create designs. Students then digitize their artworks using the Adobe Suite and/or Procreate. Students create work with attention to product categories, copyright information, and effective surface marketing techniques.
Take your surface design techniques to the next level. In this continuation of Surface Design: Techniques I, students create more sophisticated, complex designs and repeat patterns. Students work on paper and on fabric for initial motif/design creation, before digitizing their designs using the Adobe Suite and/or Procreate. Topics include dye processes such as mokume, sashiko, ice dyeing, stenciling, and resists/devoré.
In this culminating techniques course, students select bespoke techniques to create three capsule collections focusing on home décor, apparel/fashion, or stationery. Students learn specific advanced techniques relevant to their collections, including the application of color theory to individual projects. Collections will be compiled in a portfolio format suitable for presentation.