D.J. Trischler’s professional design career started in 2008 under AIGA Fellow Paul Rustand at Widget’s
& Stone in Chattanooga, TN. He established an independent practice in 2010, which continues under the title Trischler Design Co. D.J.’s approach to design invites participation and collaboration from his partners and their communities. His portfolio includes civic-centered projects like the official typeface for Chatta-nooga, Tennessee, the visual identity design for the Chattanooga Public Library, and flag designs for several neighborhoods in Cincinnati. His work is featured in The Atlantic, Nieman Labs, and the textbook Designing Brand Identities.
D.J.’s research interest concentrates on reflective visual communication design methods and artifacts that foster community resilience and increase equitable well-being within urban systems. His Master of Design thesis is an exploratory research project examining how to impact neighborhood quality of life through bottom-up, community-driven visual communication design instead of top-down, competitive place branding activities. The project includes mixed ethnographic methods and research through design with community members.
D.J. graduates from the Master of Design program in the School of Design at The University of Cincinnati in April 2022. He is pivoting toward a full-time academic position because he finds immense satisfaction in teaching design theory, methods, and history. D.J. has taught lecture and studio-based courses in the School of Design at The University of Cincinnati since 2017. At the core of his teaching philosophy is an elastic pedagogy, striving for the most effective pathway for all students to meet their learning objectives. D.J. lives in Price Hill, Cincinnati. He is actively involved in his neighborhood, seeking to foster neighborli-ness through a community garden, raising chickens, and membership with local groups and organizations.