Visual (and Auditory) Information Part II: Interesting vs. Useful Chapter 4.2.4

Gathering Information You have learned about how we use our eyes to scan and focus (figure / ground) and how this relates to the top-down discourse style of describing what you see. You have also learned about the importance of background information and our unconscious way of filling in our knowledge.

Gathering Information, cont. In this presentation we’ll distinguish between useful and interesting information.

Interesting - Useful Beginning SSPs have all they can manage to guide safely while relaying useful information, such as where the potatoes are in the grocery, what kinds they have, how much they cost, and questions from clerks. Experienced SSPs, however, can be expected to keep an eye out for the interesting as well.

Interesting One reason something is interesting is because it is unusual or unexpected. It might be a new building going up or a new style beginning to appear. It might be – as in the next picture – someone dressed totally different from everyone else, or something unique to this place (as in the picture after that).

A Beer-Keg Restaurant This giant beer keg is actually a full fledged restaurant with patio seating in front.

Interesting – Activity The previous picture shows a boy walking through the trees on wires. He is secured for safety with a harness. Something that gives you ideas or stimulates your thinking is interesting. In this case, it might be a new hobby or activity that you did not know about. The activity in the next slide is not unusual, but the location of the activity is.

INTERESTING VS. AESTHETICALLY PLEASING

‘Pretty’ It is tempting to describe something we notice because it is beautiful such as a sunset, a garden and so on. Beauty is something to be experienced rather than explained or described. If the person you are with has enough hearing or vision to enjoy something beautiful themselves, then do point it out.

‘Pretty’, cont. If, on the other hand, you are simply reporting your own experience (you’ve just seen/heard something you enjoy), consider whether it is interesting to the DB person or not – not necessarily. Do keep an eye out though for things to be touched, felt, or explored tactually (or smelled) because they are either interesting or pleasing to the senses of touch/smell/taste.

Interesting Opportunities to explore things tactually are also interesting. As an SSP, I’d want to see if the DB person was interested in checking out the carving in the next picture.

Interesting, cont. It is somewhat difficult to recognize visually and would be more so tactually, so the SSP should first explain what they saw before guiding the DB person’s hand to the object or showing them where to look.

Identify First Describe the object briefly first (and why you think it is interesting) and then offer to guide their hand to feel it for themselves. The next two pictures are a marker on a restroom door (women) and a ceramic coffee mug with a tactile pattern of knitted cables and rib.

INDIVIDUALIZE

Interesting to Whom? Individuals have patterns. The subjects of the next pictures are not particularly interesting in themselves but would be interesting to a DB person with a particular interest in the subjects: dogs, vehicles, and so on.

Exploring Further Perhaps the DB person did not know (or think about) whether dogs would be allowed at this event. Perhaps they would like to approach the person with the dogs and start a conversation about them. A former biker (or friend of bikers) may want to look at the motorcycle more closely.

PATTERNS

Patterns are also Interesting We unconsciously notice patterns. Examples of patterns include many coffee shops in a small area, many antique shops in an area, more people riding the bus than last year. These patterns and shifts in pattern are interesting.

Description So how do you report something interesting? It depends on why it is interesting: Unusual A potential activity A pattern Something to explore tactually The DB person’s personal interest

New Way of Seeing Being an SSP offers the opportunity to engage a new way of seeing. You will become more visually aware and learn to watch through someone else’s eyes. You’ll feel more free to touch things.

INTERESTING AS USEFUL

Background Knowledge and Decisions Decision making takes information – some of which we already know and some of which we seek out specifically – to make a decision. ‘Bigger decisions’ such as whether to move or not, involve planning.

Background Knowledge and Decisions, cont. Little decisions, such as which pair of socks to buy, are still made based on information. Good decisions and planning require a knowledge of options.

The SSP & DB person - Team The SSP and the DB person work together as a team. The DB person thinks about the kinds of things they want to know and asks. They respond when the SSP mentions something that is indeed interesting to them, and so on. Like any team, they learn to work together better through time.

Information and the SSP-DB Team Doing a good job as an SSP is hard work. The SSP must be observant of many things and filter the information s/he sees. Using an SSP well is also hard work. The DB person must set priorities and clearly articulate what s/he wants. S/he must then filter and organize the information received, recalculating priorities.

Conclusion SSPs can enhance the experience a DB person has by providing information that is useful and/or interesting. In order to do so, SSPs must be aware of their own passive use of vision and hearing as well as their active use of them. DB people ‘negotiate the experience’ as they go along, asking and commenting.