Misty Thomas-Trout: Speak Your Mind
Associate Professor at the University of Dayton
by Elizabeth Lavis
|08 Apr 2024
Associate Professor at the University of Dayton, Department of Art & Design, brilliant brains behind her professional studio Mistype and Every Woman, Misty Thomas-Trout believes in making haste slowly and being cautious and intentional with the messages you put into the world. “Take responsibility for the power you hold as a graphic designer,” she says. “Right now, reading The Black Experience in Design and Design Struggles has given me new perspectives and philosophies that are critical as a white female design educator. I am eager to learn about my field from all different perspectives.”
She also encourages aspiring designers to speak their minds. “Be true to yourself, which means you have to be willing to continue to learn what you like and dislike,” she says. “Don’t be afraid to say that you don’t like something. Accept failure and defeat, but don’t be defeated.” Thomas-Trout follows this advice, as her philosophy hinges on transparency and honesty. “I tell it like it is. I have always lacked a filter,” she says.
Thomas-Trout grew up in the tiny village of Jewett, Ohio, with roughly 900 people. “The limitations of access to resources and opportunities in Jewett created a unique culture that valued frugality driven by necessity,” she says. “Though I fled it immediately upon turning 18 and never returned, Jewett is still largely in my bones. I do miss those gorgeous rolling hills grounding the skyline and sunsets that lingered for hours with the richest hues of pinks, reds, and yellows. I see the beauty. I appreciate it now.”
"Atlas of Dayton Herald", Misty Thomas-Trout
She began her design journey at the University of Dayton. “I entered the program as a non-traditional student at 27,” she says. “I took Typography One, taught by John Clarke back then, and I literally fell in love with letters. I understood graphic design so much greater through the language of typography.”
Thomas-Trout balances day-to-day projects and stressors by understanding when to move on and take a step back. “I think that just knowing when to walk away prevents me from getting burned out,” she says. “It’s also imperative to get off the screen. Make with your own hands; just to create. Step away from all screens and return to your body. Doing this will allow your mind to free up new ideas.”
She also welcomes criticism and uses it as a fresh way to develop solutions for problems. “When I finally get feedback, I feel so energized,” she says. “Design relies on others. The harsher the criticism, the better, unless you’re just drinking haterade. Then I flush you down the toilet.”
For Thomas-Trout, the most important aspect of a design is research, followed by typography, although she finds Adobe Fonts to be a bit overrated. “Yes, it’s accessible; however, their classification system is problematic within the language,” she says. “It sort of argues against the history of typography. Also, it lacks the ability to search for BIPOC designers.”
When she’s not working on her designs, Thomas-Trout likes gardening, fixing up her house, and indulging in double-stuffed E.L. Fudge Cookies and lemon meringue pie. “I have zero self-control,” she says. She also does all of her own basic plumbing and electrical work. “I love power tools,” she says. “I have two daughters, ages 14 and four, and I try to remember that they are my greatest design. We like to play Smash Brothers and eat popcorn.”
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