Locating Digital Technologies

This paper will address the issue of location related to the utilisation of digital imaging and printing technologies in contemporary textile design education and practice. From an analysis of literature and qualitative interview data, the paper will discuss the importance placed on the teaching and learning of traditional textile skills and manual processes alongside digital technologies. The paper will evidence that location is a key aspect in integrating digital technologies into textile design education and practice. '...geography has played an important role in the development of the Scottish Textile Industry, not least because of the conditions, materials and available labour force specific to these geographical areas. What is important about this is that the development of education in textiles...has been a response to the changing industry, [and] will therefore have developed according to the same regional characteristics.' (Olley 2005: 186