Gina Ekiss (formerly known as Gina Boyd-Burgess) is said to be the designer for the iconic "Jazz" design that was found on disposable cups back in the 1990's. In 1987, after graduating from Missouri State University, Gina began working for the art department at the Sweetheart Cup Company, based in Springfield, Missouri. During the late 1980s, Sweetheart planned to replace its disposable cup design, "Preference," which featured a gray base with a thin red line that formed two leaves. Sweetheart became disappointed with the new designs submitted by external agencies. Dennis Marsh, a manager for the company, said that the design agencies did not understand the specifics of the company's printing process, and that their designs were too complicated to use. In 1989, a company contest was announced to choose a new stock image for the disposable cups that would have wide appeal, as the company's cups were used in various locations such as hospitals and fast-food restaurants. Marsh was influential in the company's decision to hold the contest. One of the new design's limitations was that it could only have one or two colors, due to the high speed of the printing press. At the time, Sweetheart was transitioning to digital technology, and Ekiss was one of the few workers who was skilled in computer design. Ekiss submitted three or four design ideas and in 1991, Sweetheart chose Ekiss's design, which utilized her favorite colors: teal and purple. "Jazz" was based on an earlier image named "Razzi" that Ekiss had designed while she was in college. Full production of the "Jazz" disposable cups began in early 1992, and the design was also used for disposable bowls and plates. At the time, "Jazz" was the company's top-grossing stock design. Ekiss, however, did not receive a bonus payment nor royalties for her design as Sweetheart took ownership of it. Ekiss worked for Sweetheart until 2002, when the company relocated its art department. The "Jazz" design is considered an icon of 1990s culture, often being associated with the decade. The design ultimately became a meme and gained a cult following. It gained popularity among Internet artists in 2010 or 2011. The fan community sold shirts featuring the design and also created fan pages for "Jazz" on Facebook and Tumblr to document various instances of the design's expanded usage, including automobiles, shoes, bicycle helmets, tattoos, nail art, and others. Disposable Jazz cups remained available as of 2015.

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