Suzanne Chapman is the Senior Design Lead at New Practice Lab. Chapman is a UX generalist specializing in delivering services that are inclusive, human-centered, and designed to reduce burden while earning people's trust as they engage with government and civic life. Most recently, Chapman was the Director of User Experience for IRS Direct File, helping to turn the idea of free tax online tax filing from concept to reality. She made hands-on contributions to the content, research, and design of Direct File while leading the user experience strategy to ensure taxpayer-centered practices were baked into every step. Under her leadership, the team won the FedScoop 50 Innovation of the Year 2024. More importantly, taxpayers have described it as "easy peasy," "nearly completely pain free," and "I didn't cry filing my taxes with Direct File." During her time in civic tech, Chapman has worked for the US Digital Service on significant initiatives like the Student Loan Debt Relief form, Vaccines.gov, VA.gov, and with the Center for Civic Design, designing an adaptive electronic voting machine interface, researching voter behavior, and partnering with states across the country to improve automatic voter registration.
