PhD Position Textile-Form Weaving Design Methods for Digital Design-Fabrication Workflows

Shape the future of on-demand, zero waste, 3D woven garments

Job description

INTERWeuVEN is a Horizon Europe research project that combines European textile heritage with emerging digital manufacturing technologies. The project develops 2D–3D Textile-Form Weaving (TFW), a design and fabrication approach in which woven textile structure and product form are produced simultaneously. By integrating computational design with digital Jacquard weaving, TFW enables on-demand, zero-waste garment manufacturing: cutting and sewing steps are removed from conventional production processes entirely.

INTERWeuVEN brings together 16 academic and industry partners across Europe and Canada to develop design tools, digital interfaces, robotic fabrication methods, and business models that integrate with circular material systems, including regenerative fibres and textile recycling flows.

Within INTERWeuVEN, this PhD researcher will investigate how design methods and digital workflows can connect 2D–3D garment design with Textile-Form Weaving fabrication, working primarily with partners within the project's System and Digitalisation WorkStreams. The aim is to improve the design potential and usability of TFW processes in future textile-form microfactory contexts.

The research builds on earlier work to define TFW system requirements and constraints, and explores how sustainability-relevant data and digital tools can support the TFW design process. The candidate will contribute to the development and formalisation of TFW design processes, with particular attention to how the material and process temporality of TFW, the temporal unfolding of decisions across design, weaving, and finishing, can be understood and navigated by designers.

This temporality dimension is a novel and distinctive contribution of the PhD. The candidate will provide the design knowledge and process understanding that enables computational partners and robotic fabrication partners to develop technically robust systems that are also designerly and meaningful. The candidate does not build computational or robotic systems, but generates the design knowledge that makes those systems useful.

Your role

You will work independently and collaboratively on research tasks including, but not limited to:

• Develop design methodologies and processes for Textile-Form Woven garments and products, with particular attention to the temporal structure of TFW design decision-making
• Develop a digital library of flattened garment archetypes with structured metadata for consortium-wide use
• Investigate workflows that translate 3D garment design into 2D Jacquard weaving designs, identifying critical decision points where designer input is required
• Contribute design process knowledge to the development of manufacturing modules and digital tools within the project
• Provide design knowledge and process frameworks to support computational design formalisation and robotic moulding and finishing research
• Conduct user studies with designers to evaluate design methods, processes, and co-developed digital design workflows and tools
• Develop TFW prototypes and samples to support material exploration and user and material experience research
• Collaborate with academic and industry partners within the INTERWeuVEN consortium across Europe
• Disseminate research through four peer-reviewed publications over the course of the PhD, co-authored with supervisors and consortium partners

Job requirements

The candidate must have:

• A Master's degree in fashion design, textile design, industrial design engineering, or a closely related field
• Experience with garment design and pattern cutting, or form design and patterning for soft materials
• Familiarity with relevant digital design tools such as CLO3D, industrial Jacquard design software (NedGraphics, Scotweave, or equivalent), Rhino/Grasshopper, Blender, or SolidWorks
• Interest in digital design workflows for textile production and an understanding of the relationship between design and fabrication processes
• Strong written and spoken communication skills in English
• The ability to work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary and international research environment across academic and industry partners

The following experience is considered advantageous:

• Familiarity with zero-waste fashion design methods
• Experience working in the fashion or textile industry
• Knowledge of sustainable or circular design strategies, such as life cycle assessment (LCA) or digital product passports
• Knowledge of weave structure and Jacquard design principles
• Experience conducting user studies or familiarity with related evaluation methods
• Experience with physical prototyping and material exploration in woven or soft material contexts

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)

Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering

The Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering focuses on connecting advances in technology with the needs of people, organisations and society to create products, services and systems with purpose.

The faculty is a leader in design research across mobility, sustainability and health, as well as in the development of design tools and methods. A 350-strong research team and over 2,000 students work together in halls, labs and studios, in close cooperation with industry, the public sector and NGOs, to explore possible futures in research and education and design for a complex future.

Conditions of employment

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1.5-year contract includes an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months, followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2.5 years assuming performance requirements are met.

As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.