‘That’s why I chose UC’

'That's why I chose UC'

Communication design student immortalizes sports legends through co-op

"Posterizing" is when a basketball player dunks over a defender in an impossible play suitable for framing.

University of Cincinnati communication design student Jayden Balwally actually makes those posters, turning players in the National Basketball Association and other sports into heroic, timeless icons.

Balwally is studying in UC's College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning, where he has gotten to show off his skills through UC's nationally ranked cooperative education program, dividing his time between classroom instruction and full-time work with an employer in his field.

UC invented co-op in 1906. Today, its program consistently ranks in the Top 5 in the country.

Through co-op, Balwally has gotten to work with some of the biggest names in sports: professional basketball teams, the NCAA College Football Playoff and Heisman Trophy winners.

UC student Jadyen Balwally worked on designs for the College Football Playoff. Graphics/Jayden Balwally/College Football Playoff

Mixing sports and design through co-op experience at UC

Growing up in Centerville, Ohio, Balwally was an avid fan of basketball. His dad took him to UC Bearcats games.

"I would say I've always had a passion for sports," he said.

And when he's not designing for his favorite sports teams, Balwally is working on new projects at UC. He created a publication called "Blacktop" that celebrates streetball culture in Venice Beach, California. It was recognized in Graphic Design USA's annual showcase.

Jayden Balwally, UC College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning

At Centerville High School, Balwally made the social media graphics for the basketball team, which got him noticed by UC Athletics, where he worked his first internship for the Bearcats football program just as UC joined the Big 12 conference in 2023.

His first big break was an internship with the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder, which incredibly coincided with the team's first championship season. Balwally got to design artwork for the Paycom Center, the Thunder's arena, featuring the NBA's 2024-25 Most Valuable Player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, known to fans simply as SGA.

"I was so grateful for that experience," Balwally said.

Balwally was recruited to join the creative and design team for the College Football Playoff, where he collaborated with other designers, photographers, videographers and writers for player and team graphics that would be used on digital and social media platforms.

"It was the best experience of my life. You have all these incredibly talented people in a room together. You're all like-minded so it feels like you click immediately," he said. "It was really cool."

Jayden Balwally demonstrated his considerable photography skills for UC Athletics, providing in-game coverage of the UC football team. Photo/Jayden Balwally

National sports design experience through UC co-op

Katie Cavender, assistant director of communications for the College Football Playoff, compared the interns and their formidable talent to Marvel's Avengers.

"I'm astounded by the level of talent and creativity that is coming from college students," she said. "The program has seen many alumni go on to work for professional sports teams and other major brands and agencies throughout the industry."

The team produces images and videos for social media, broadcast TV and stadium displays. Their work is seen by an estimated 60 million people across media platforms, she said.

"Jayden's creativity and passion for his craft are quite remarkable," Cavender said. "He is deeply committed to his craft and brings a positive attitude every single day. I have no doubt he is making everyone at the University of Cincinnati incredibly proud. Jayden's future is bright and we are honored to have played a part in his journey."

Balwallly was invited back to the College Football Playoff the following year, leading the graphics design team. He came up with the art direction and campaign for the season.

"I wanted to find ways to elevate it - to create a system that could evolve through each round of the playoffs," he said. "From the quarterfinals to semifinals to the national championship, the intensity ramps up. The stakes get higher with each round. So I wanted to build a design to reflects that with elements that get bolder and more intense with each round."

This culminated in the national championship game that he attended in Miami, Florida, between the Miami Hurricanes and Indiana Hoosiers.

"I just tried to take it in and be present," he said.

UC co-op by the numbers

And Balwally also got work with the Heisman Trophy Trust, the nonprofit foundation that awards the annual honor to the top college football player. While working there, Balwally was tasked with coming up with new graphic portraits for all 91 winners crowned since 1935.

Balwally designed each to resemble a collectible card, using a macro image of a textured geode to create a golden border that resembles ancient Roman marble.

"I digitally manipulated the colors to turn them black, gray and white and brought out the highlights to make the gold feel like true gold," he said.

Balwally flew to New York to take part in the awards ceremony, meeting past winners such as Johnny Manziel and Eric Crouch.

"It was some of the most fun I ever had," he said. "I got to meet some of the greatest players to step on a field. I am truly grateful for it."

UC College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning student Jayden Balwally attended the college football national championship game in January in Florida. Photo/Provided

The competitive edge of UC's co-op program

Associate Professor Brianna Brailey in UC's College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning said Balwally demonstrated a lot of determination. She oversees co-op for communication design students.

"Jayden's example shows how important it is to make connections. You really have to put yourself out there," Brailey said. "It goes to show that it's possible to make it in this competitive field."

Communication design has a variety of co-op opportunities, from branding, packaging and print marketing to niche fields like environmental graphic design for architecture, Brailey said.

"As technology has increased, the main role of a graphic designer is to stay up on technology and learn all the platforms, programs and media," she said.

UC's co-op program allows students to see how they can build a career in this challenging but rewarding industry, she said.

"It's a passion field," she said. "They call it a lifestyle career. You have to love it to want to do it."

Balwally plans to pursue a career in sports design when he graduates in 2028.

"I could work for a team, league or agency. I still have two years to figure that out," he said. "That's the beautiful thing about UC co-op. It allows you to get a temporary but real-world experience. I know what I'm getting into because I've already had that experience.

"And that's why I chose the University of Cincinnati."

Featured image at top: UC communications design student Jayden Balwally attended the college football national championship game at the Hard Rock Stadium in Florida. Photo/Provided

Your career is next

Through one of the nation's most robust co-op programs, UC students don't just learn about their future - they live it, alternating classroom study with real, career-shaping experience in industries around the world.

Students: Earn while you learn at UC.

Employers: Find your next hire.

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