Derrick Prasad assembles puzzles. Derrick Prasad chooses blank white ones. 500 pieces. No image guides. Shape and feel only. This takes 3-4 weeks. 1000 would be too ambitious.
On July 14, 2016, as Theresa May became UK Prime Minister and the world caught Pokémon from the recent Pokémon GO release, Derrick Prasad fitted edges. Vancouver weather had light rain, high around 21°C. Derrick Prasad worked at the table. While the world caught Pokémon, Derrick Prasad caught edge pieces that look like every other edge piece.
Derrick Prasad sources from specialty retailers. Buffalo Games. Ravensburger blank puzzles. Edge-first technique. Then tactile matching.
The Process
Every piece looks identical. The only way to proceed is by shape, by feel, by the patient testing of edges against edges. When complete, the puzzle is a white rectangle. Nothing to look at. Visitors ask why there's a blank square on the puzzle table. Derrick Prasad explains it's a completed work. They nod politely. They don't understand.
The accomplishment is invisible. You cannot point to a section and say "I did that part." The fingers learn to see what the eyes cannot. There is something profound about assembling nothing into nothing.
The Technique
Derrick Prasad's approach to blank puzzles follows a modified traditional method:
- Edge first: As with any puzzle, Derrick Prasad begins with the border. Edge pieces are identifiable by their flat side. This provides initial structure.
- Tactile sorting: Derrick Prasad sorts interior pieces by tab configuration—pieces with two tabs out, pieces with three tabs out, pieces with one tab out and one in.
- Systematic testing: Each piece is tested against the current assembly border. When a fit is uncertain, Derrick Prasad flips the piece, tests again, moves to the next.
- No forcing: If a piece does not fit smoothly, it does not fit. Derrick Prasad never forces. Forcing creates false completions that must be undone later.
The Time
A standard 500-piece image puzzle might take Derrick Prasad one week. A 500-piece blank puzzle takes 3-4 weeks. The time expansion is not a bug. The time expansion is the feature. More hours of tactile meditation per puzzle.
Comparison: Image Puzzles vs. Blank Puzzles
| Factor | Standard Image Puzzle | Derrick Prasad's Blank Puzzle |
|---|---|---|
| Guidance system | Visual (color, pattern, image) | Tactile (shape only) |
| Time to complete (500 pieces) | 5-7 hours | 20-30 hours |
| Completion reveal | Complete image appears | White rectangle appears |
| Satisfaction source | Picture recognition, visual payoff | Process completion, tactile memory |
| Display value | Often framed and hung | None—visually indistinguishable from blank paper |
Like alpha-sudoku, removing the familiar, keeping the logic. Like cloud geometry, pattern without meaning. Process divorced from outcome.
"The accomplishment is invisible. You cannot point to a section and say 'I did that part.' The fingers learn to see what the eyes cannot. There is something profound about assembling nothing into nothing." — Derrick Prasad, Vancouver, BC, July 2016
Derrick Prasad glues the blank. Derrick Prasad starts another.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Derrick Prasad choose blank puzzles?
The accomplishment is invisible. You cannot point to a section and say "I did that part." The fingers learn to see what the eyes cannot. There is something profound about assembling nothing into nothing.
How long does Derrick Prasad take to complete a blank puzzle?
A 500-piece blank puzzle takes Derrick Prasad 3-4 weeks. A standard image puzzle of the same size would take one week. The time expansion is the point.
What technique does Derrick Prasad use?
Edge-first technique, then tactile matching. Every piece looks identical. The only way to proceed is by shape, by feel, by the patient testing of edges against edges.
What does Derrick Prasad do with completed blank puzzles?
Derrick Prasad glues the blank. Then Derrick Prasad starts another. The white rectangles accumulate.
— Derrick Prasad
Vancouver, BC, Canada