Project Overview

This project was created as an educational animation for undergraduate economics students at Olin Business School, for Washington University in St. Louis. The challenge was to explain why the supply curve slopes upward in a way that was clear, memorable, and engaging. Instead of relying solely on charts and definitions, the video uses the story of an apple orchard to bring abstract economic theory to life.

Goal of the Video

The primary goal of this animation is to teach undergraduate students why the supply curve slopes upward in economics. Instead of presenting the concept abstractly, the video uses a relatable story (apple picking) to show how costs rise as more output is produced, and why producers only supply more goods when prices are higher.

Key learning goals:

• Help students visualize the idea of “low-hanging fruit” as a metaphor for lower-cost production first.

• Demonstrate that each additional unit of production often
  costs more (because it takes more time, effort, or resources).

• Connect this intuitive example to the formal concept of an
  upward-sloping supply curve.

• Reinforce that producers compare price with cost when deciding whether to supply more goods.

Solution

The video solves the teaching challenge by combining storytelling and motion design:

• A farmer and farmhand picking apples illustrates the progression from low-cost to higher-cost production.

• Visual cues like stopwatches, price tags, and cost labels reinforce how time and resources drive cost.

• The narrative transitions from the orchard to a dynamic supply curve animation, making the direct link between real-world actions and economic theory.