This editorial illustration was created for issue 07 of the German business magazine WirtschaftsWoche. It accompanies an article about debt-financed government spending and whether it really boosts economic growth.

The article focuses on the so-called fiscal multiplier, the idea that public spending can create additional growth beyond the initial amount invested. Many economists are skeptical and argue that the effect may be much smaller than hoped.

I developed several visual ideas for this topic, including a “Waiting for Godot” scene at a bus stop and a business meeting where an optimistic growth chart is drawn directly onto a glass window overlooking a grey city. Both concepts played with the contrast between big expectations and limited real-world impact.

The final illustration shows a wheelbarrow tipping over a pile of coins, scattering in all directions. It captures the central question of the article: a lot of money is being distributed, but not all of it turns into real momentum.

Working on economic subjects can be challenging because they are often abstract. I enjoy the process of sketching different approaches until the idea becomes clear, direct, and easy to grasp.

This editorial illustration was created for issue 07 of the German business magazine WirtschaftsWoche. It accompanies an article about debt-financed government spending and whether it really boosts economic growth.

The article focuses on the so-called fiscal multiplier, the idea that public spending can create additional growth beyond the initial amount invested. Many economists are skeptical and argue that the effect may be much smaller than hoped.

I developed several visual ideas for this topic, including a “Waiting for Godot” scene at a bus stop and a business meeting where an optimistic growth chart is drawn directly onto a glass window overlooking a grey city. Both concepts played with the contrast between big expectations and limited real-world impact.

The final illustration shows a wheelbarrow tipping over a pile of coins, scattering in all directions. It captures the central question of the article: a lot of money is being distributed, but not all of it turns into real momentum.

Working on economic subjects can be challenging because they are often abstract. I enjoy the process of sketching different approaches until the idea becomes clear, direct, and easy to grasp.

Sketch: