In partnership with Auburn University’s Waste Reduction and Recycling Department, I designed these two posters and corresponding button badges to encourage all students, faculty, and visitors of our campus to recycle. My goal was to create a set of clean, simple, direct, and playful designs that are easily understood and can bring a smile, even when viewed briefly. Inspired by the thinking of London-based artist Noma Bar, whose “deceptively simple” work creatively utilizes negative space to combine various subjects, I brought a soda can tab and a bottle cap to life as illustrated characters. These characters highlight the potential of recycled materials beyond their original use and emphasize their connection to the energy from the beverages they represent. The action statements “The best pick-me-up!” and “The ultimate refresher!” also nod to the energizing qualities of the beverages and imply that recycling is the true pick-me-up and refresher for our environment.