Christopher S. Johnson

Article · Teaching & Research

AI and Visual Communication

AI isn’t replacing creativity—it’s reshaping it. With support from NAU’s TRAIL program, I’m exploring how AI‑enhanced workflows transform how we teach and create in visual communication and animation.

Chris Johnson — Professor, Animator April 4, 2025
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AI isn’t replacing creativity — it’s reshaping it.

Abstract

With NAU’s TRAIL support, I’m running hands‑on integrations of AI across animation and visual communication courses: real tools, real students, real results. The aim is to teach students to create with AI ethically, critically, and creatively — blending animation practice, ecological storytelling, and AI‑assisted workflows.

Attribution

  • Institutional partners: Northern Arizona University; School of Communication
  • Program: TRAIL — Teaching, Research, and Innovation Lab
  • Thanks: Dr. John Georgas for championing innovation in teaching and research

Key Themes

  • Workflow Design: AI as a scaffold for ideation, iteration, and critique — not a replacement for craft.
  • Ethics & Attribution: model transparency, consented datasets, and clear crediting in student work.
  • Ecological Storytelling: aligning AI tools with field‑based research and environmental narratives.
  • Visual Rhetoric: teaching students to interrogate outputs and articulate intent.

Use & Impact

  • Integrated into motion design assignments and critique frameworks.
  • Supports sabbatical projects connecting animation, ecology, and AI.
  • Shared publicly via LinkedIn article and future talks/workshops.

Article Excerpt

“AI isn’t replacing creativity—it’s reshaping it. I’m exploring how AI‑enhanced workflows are transforming the way we teach and create in visual communication and animation. This year, I’m focused on hands‑on integration: real tools, real students, real results.”

Read the full piece on LinkedIn for acknowledgements, program links, and hashtags.

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