I think Lucy Suchman’s research has changed the way we think about whether design technology really serves humanity. Her work at Xerox showed that the way designers expect users to interact with a product is often very different from what happens in real life. By studying copier operators, she demonstrated that people don’t just follow step-by-step instructions, they use context and prior experience to figure things out in the moment.
Suchman’s insights helped shift the focus of technology design to user-centered design, where designers should study real user behavior before creating a product. And she believes that designers should not make assumptions about how people will use technology, but should observe users in their natural environment and interact with them to understand their needs. This approach has influenced modern interaction design, giving birth to methods such as anthropological research, usability testing, and iterative prototyping, enabling designers to create products based on real user experiences that are also better.
Today, her ideas are a core part of interaction design. Designers now rely on continuous user feedback to improve products, ensuring that products fit the way people actually work, rather than forcing users to adapt to technology. I also think this is a great character.