Once he got the call, Eric D. Jones (B.F. A. ’15) went into overdrive, downing Red Bulls and pulling all-nighters to finish the graphic design project of a lifetime.

For the Georgia State graduate who’s been working full time for the past seven years to build up his own design firm, the assignment was a watershed moment and represented his biggest audience yet: the throngs of passengers passing through the world’s busiest airport during the premier tournament of the world’s most popular sport.

As a subcontracted graphic designer for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport’s 2026 summer “Gates to Goals” campaign, Jones’ work is on display as the city takes centerstage, hosting eight FIFA World Cup contests and attracting fans and visitors from around the world.

“It was a fast-moving thing,” Jones said of the roughly one week he had to work on the designs for nearly two dozen graphic-wrapped columns and a half-dozen 3D arches spread throughout the concourses. “Now I’m realizing the magnitude of what I’ve done.”

From the arch by Roast Coffeehouse and Wendy’s in Concourse B to columns by Einstein Bros. Bagels in Concourse D, and from the TSA checkpoint to the F Gate, Jones’ work is featured as part of the Gates to Goals campaign’s “Global Flavors & Finds” initiative, which encourages travelers to explore the airport by highlighting local and international fare available at airport restaurants.

His designs feature bold images of players in action, brightly colored graphics and lines and, of course, soccer balls in motion. QR codes point passengers to webpages with helpful information and directions.

On a recent visit to the airport, Jones stopped to take in the view of his work.

“When I saw people stopping to take pictures, that’s when the significance of it hit me,” he said.

A native of Savannah, Ga., Jones has always been drawn to art and for a time considered attending the Savannah College of Art and Design. But a trek to Atlanta with a Georgia State admissions counselor for a tour made him a committed Panther, a decision he’s never second-guessed.

While majoring in graphic design, Jones joined Georgia State’s Spotlight Programs Board, a student group aimed at enhancing student life through events and cultural and educational programs. He eventually became the head of Spotlight’s graphics team, which designs promotional materials to market its campus events.

Jones also gained work experience through on-campus jobs with GSU’s student housing arm.

“Once I got to Georgia State, I was very invested,” Jones said. “Picking Georgia State was the best decision I could have made.”

While pursuing his studies, he also worked to build the freelance design company he founded in 2009, Chozen Graphics & Design. Though he graduated in 2015 and landed a full-time job, he continued taking on freelance work for family, friends and a growing client base through Chozen.

But while working full time for a print design and manufacturing company in Alpharetta, Ga., in 2019, Jones won a temporary assignment to work for a firm he later found out was under contract with tech giant Apple. Though it was only for three months of work and required quitting his full-time job to move to California, he took the leap.

While the COVID-19 pandemic that emerged in 2020 disrupted his second short-term contract with the firm, Jones was determined to make Chozen Graphics & Design his full-time job.

Since returning to Atlanta, Jones has tapped into the network he built through connections with Georgia State and has landed a string of repeat clients. Shifting from traditional graphic design work to designing experiential installations and events, he’s worked with the Emerging 100 of Atlanta, the Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes Wellness Expo, Essence Fest, the TRU Foundation and others.

Jones says many of his client relationships can be traced back to connections he made at Georgia State. One is his relationship with Jay Dukes, co-founder of Aux Cord Wars. Jones first met Dukes through Spotlight, when Dukes was hired to host a campus event.

“I met Jay while I was a student, and we’ve never lost touch,” Jones said. “Now, years later, to work alongside him through Aux Cord Wars and bring that connection back to Spotlight feels like a full-circle moment.”

Working to give back to the institution that helped give him his start, Jones has also joined the Georgia State Alumni Association’s Young Alumni Network, which hosts events and networking activities for recent graduates, like the Young Alumni Summit and Homecoming Social.

“There’s so much we have to offer recent grads and young alumni,” Jones said. “Georgia State helped shape me, not just as a student, but as a creative and as a professional. So, to still be connected, to still serve and to still represent the university in this season of my career is something I don’t take lightly. I’m honored to continue being an ambassador for Georgia State.”