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192 CHAPTER 8 Interviews and focus groups

FINDING AND REMINDING—CONT’D
Malone used his observation of the workers and their offices to note that
people used structured, named files alongside unnamed, unorganized piles.
This led him to suggest that information systems should support the creation
of unnamed collections of information. Piles appeared to play the special role
of reminders of work that had to be done: fully two-thirds of the piles were
piles of things to do. Malone also noted that respondents often left information
unclassified because they weren't quite sure how to organize it.
These observations led to several suggestions for better information
environments. According to Malone, information systems should support the
creation of hierarchies that would allow multiple classifications for any artifact.
However, information systems should also allow for deferred classification—
essentially giving the user the ability to create an electronic pile that might not
be named until much later (if ever). Automatic classification—perhaps based on
when information was accessed—might help as well. Powerful search facilities
would be helpful, as would graphical aids for indicating the priority of various
items on the to-do list.
More than 30 years later, Malone's investigation of information management
practices are still relevant and several of his suggestions remain absent from
desktop operating environments. His methods, questions, and analysis illustrate
how well-conducted interviews can inform and guide HCI research.

GREEN LIVING INTERVIEWS
Environmental concerns have led to an interest in applying HCI techniques
and practices to the development of tools and systems that encourage people
to make environmentally responsible choices. To understand more concretely
what this would mean, a group of researchers conducted a qualitative study with
people in the United States who had made substantial commitment to the use of
environmentally responsible systems or construction in their homes (Woodruff
et al., 2008). These criteria were used because people who were willing to take
the time and money to install solar panels or use salvaged materials to renovate
their home were presumed to be deeply concerned about environmental matters.
The researchers used green movements, green-home tours, and email lists to
find appropriate participants, which led to a diverse group of 56 individuals
living in 35 homes in several locations in California, New Mexico, and Oregon.
Home visits were used to conduct the bulk of the data collection. Each of
the visits included a semistructured interview, a tour of the house, and other
activities aimed at understanding user needs and perspectives, typically over the
course of two to three hours. The visits were video recorded and photographed.
These visits generated a substantial amount of data. Verbatim transcripts of all