Where's my Ritspik?

The design of this book embodies multiple facets of memory, in particular, the confusion and time/space disorientation that occurs in elders with memory loss. The book has a lot of empty space. This functions to slow readers down, allowing them to take their time, as they would when caring for an elder. The empty space, along with the hand-punched ellipses motif, indicates that something is missing, both literally and symbolically. The reader can see through these punctures in the surface, just as a caregiver does. The typography throughout the book varies to show the ever-changing relationship between patient and caregiver; at times it jumps up and down, crashing into other letters and at others, it reads clearly. Symbolic photographs of perfume bottles reflect the concepts of nostalgia and memory. Just as eldercare is a labor of love, so too is the experience of this handsewn book.