TROY, Ala. (TROJANVISION) — The inaugural Jerry Johnson Symposium took students on a journey through the world of graphic design and how the industry works.

The event consisted of three guest speakers including Travis Carlson, a motion graphic designer for Brains on Fire and a TROY alumnus. The second speaker was Nikhil Ghodke, a design professor from Auburn University in Montgomery. During his lecture, Ghodke stressed the importance of accepting, and utilizing, artificial intelligence.

“Don’t fight it,” Ghodke said. “The best thing you can do is embrace it, understand what it does learn, about it and try to adapt.”

The last speaker at the symposium was Tommie Lee Washington III. He is the current senior animator for the ESPN Sports Network. He is also responsible for many recognizable graphics. Despite reaching what some would consider the pinnacle of a career, Washington says it is important to embrace continual learning.

“Don’t stop learning,” Washington said. “Don’t stop because everything keeps changing. Software keeps changing, the way people do things keeps changing.”

The symposium concluded with a panel of judges looking at pieces of graphic design work and films that students have produced.