Seeing the unseen and describing the unseen
It’s saying what isn’t these in addition to what is there to actually give a more accurate picture of what you looking at.
Let’s do a quick test, see the following picture and make mental notes –
How you would describe the picture to a friend?
Most people ignore the wooden panels on the wall, the mirror.
If you say fireplace then for most people it means there are three sticks and a fire unless you told them not to.
The same goes for the candlestick, most people will imagine candle sticks with candles and flames unless you tell them not to do so.
The pertinent negative is this wonderful concept that gives us a broader way of looking at something.
Imagine you are a detective looking for evidence for a missing person, you go to their home and try to find out what’s not there and try to figure out the situation. Similar concepts apply to product management as well.
This effect gives us a great opportunity to talk about not just what we see but what don’t see, to give the person who can’t see, what we see, a much more accurate description of what they are looking at.
It’s a good visual intelligence exercise to train your mind to be more observant.
This skill should be mastered by everyone who want to create meaningful products.