As a design anthropologist for AT&T Labs West in Menlo Park, Bonnie A. Nardi

helps develop new products and services by studying how we use technology. Nardi, who has worked in the valley since 1984, once lived with villagers in Western Samoa while doing postdoctoral work. While at Apple, she helped develop Apple Data Detectors, tools that make it easier to do things such as visiting a Web address listed in a text. She is the co-author of ''Information Ecologies: Using Technology with Heart,'' a book that encourages the responsible use of new technology.

QUESTION: Why do companies need anthropologists?

ANSWER: It's another way of interacting with customers. Marketing people are really good at getting the broad statistical trends, but they don't as often spend the in-depth time with customers that anthropologists do. We'll go out and spend hours with one customer, talking to them and watching them.

[For example,] we observed a lot of what we call islanding behaviors, where people have various ways to say, ''I have to get something done, and I can't be barraged by communications right now.'' [At] one company, I noticed they had these shoji screens scattered around the office. I said, ''What are those?'' They said, ''When we really need to do heads-down work, we drag over one of these and put it in front of our office.'' It's really symbolic. This is a really high-tech company, and they're using this big, physical object to communicate something about their work status.

QUESTION:What do you make of the relationship between people and technology here? Are we using it? Is it using us?

The book [Information Ecologies] is an argument for applying our own values and interests to how we select and use technology. I think sometimes we just get on the next bandwagon without thinking about it.

An example would be the schools, where we all think, ''Oh, we have to put computers in the schools.'' No. 1, what effect will this have on other activities and budget constraints? And No. 2, what do we do with them once they're there?

I think it's true everywhere, but because we get the technologies fast and furiously here, we're on the forefront. We tend to go through these processes first here. We have more technologies to think about and choose among.

QUESTION: From your observations, which of these advances are finding a home in our lives?

Right now, I'm looking at instant messaging. I think this will be the next new technology that's going to facilitate communication in offices. People like it because it's really personal. E-mail has gotten so impersonal, because you get so much broadcast e-mail and you get junk mail and weird things from marketers. Instant messaging fills a new niche where you get to hear from close co-workers and friends.

The people that we've been studying have these buddy lists, and the average is about 20 people on the list. However, there's typically only four or five people you're communicating with on average. I think we're just right on the cusp of this becoming very important in offices.

Also, during the work day, you can have quick communications with loved ones. It gives you a little sense of connection with people you care about without taking time away from your work. I guess it's a technology for the millennium because we're all so busy and things are so fast.

QUESTION: What is the natural habitat of a Silicon Valleyite? Besides Fry's?

I think the natural habitat is the office. We all spend so much time at the office and at other people's offices. Obviously, people have strong home lives here. People have this idea that Silicon Valley people ignore their kids and just put them on pagers, and that has not been my experience living here.

The office sort of defines Silicon Valley for me in that it is this really rich, fast-paced environment where amazing things are happening every day.