The Quilt
A Children’s Guidebook for Dementia.
As an adult having experienced firsthand how daunting it is to have a loved one suffer with Dementia, I wanted
to create a conceptual guidebook to help young children navigate the sensitive
topic in a way that is both comforting and engaging, as well as educational.
Here I was exploring how to adapt my combined watercolour and digital style, which I used at the time, to create sensitive characters. I ended up using a looser and brighter style, as seen beneath, as to appeal to my younger audience of 5-8 years.
Here I was exploring how to adapt my combined watercolour and digital style, which I used at the time, to create sensitive characters. I ended up using a looser and brighter style, as seen beneath, as to appeal to my younger audience of 5-8 years.
The guidebook’s five sections are as follows:
1. Memory books
A visual analogy for Dementia
2. Sight
A visual metaphor for visual stimulation and why engaging the senses is important
3. What to say?
How to navigate language and how to have the appropriate attitude while speaking
4. Smell and Sound
More examples of engaging the senses and why this is useful
5. Games
Suggestions of what games are ideal to encourage interaction and engage the mind without being overwhelming
The overall aim of this piece is to reassure young children that although it may not seem like it, someone suffering with
dementia is still the same person deep down and emphasise that although they may not remember a
moment, the feeling they felt in that moment will always remain.
As this project was only conceptual,
I don’t feel it has reached its full potential and I would love to revisit this
concept at a later date with the aim of printing and distributing into children’s
educational spaces.