Alan Cooper Quotes

Because computers have memories, we imagine that they must be something like our human memories, but that is simply not true.
ALAN COOPER

Computer Human Imagine Memory Simply Something True
If we want users to like our software we should design it to behave like a likeable person: respectful, generous and helpful.
ALAN COOPER

Behave Design Generous Helpful Likeable Person Respect Software User
There is little difference technically between a complicated, confusing program and a simple, fun, and powerful product.
ALAN COOPER

Between Complicate Confuse Difference Fun Little Powerful Product Program Simple Technical
The things like that we could fight about, we really don’t. We are pretty lucky for that.
ALAN COOPER

Could Fight Lucky Pretty Really Thing
I just try and learn to be a good husband and be a good father before I am a good rock star. That means saying no to certain things that go with the business.
ALAN COOPER

Before Business Certain Father Good Husband Just Learn Rock Star Thing Try
Touring hard and then working on putting the next one out. I don’t need to break. I just need to put a record out.
ALAN COOPER

Break Need Next One Out Put Record Tour Work
English bohemians sit in cold orderly rows, like carrots.
ALAN COOPER

Bohemian Carrot Cold English Like Orderly Row Sit
While making art you should just do what is in your heart.
ALAN COOPER

Do Heart Just Make
Well madam, have you looked in the mirror and seen the state of your nose? Boxing is my excuse. What’s yours?
ALAN COOPER

Boxing Excuse Look Madam Mirror Nose Seen State Well
One of the most heinous, insidious lies is the notion that you have to be an asshole to be a successful business person.
ALAN COOPER

Asshole Business Heinous Insidious Lie Most Notion Person Successful
If you are making a chair, the sandpaper can make it smoother. But no amount of sandpaper will turn a chair into a table.
ALAN COOPER

Amount Chair Make Sandpaper Smoother Table Turn
Computers no longer interface with humans–they interact, and the interaction will become steadily deeper, more subtle, and more crucial to our collective sanity and ultimate survival.
ALAN COOPER

Computer Critical Deeper Human Interact Interface Longer More Sturdily Subtle Survival
Past dreams of bliss our lives contain, And slight the chords that still retain A heart estranged to joys again,
ALAN COOPER

Again Bliss Chord Contain Dream Estrange Heart Joy Like Past Retain Slight Still
Usability methods are like sandpapering a chair.
ALAN COOPER

Chair Like Method Sandpaper Usability
In turn, we will be tempted to kill our computers, but we won’t dare because we are already utterly, irreversibly dependent on these hopeful monsters that make modern life possible.
ALAN COOPER

Computer Dependent Hopeful Irreversible Kill Life Modern Monster Possible
You Don’t Have to Go Home from Work Exhausted!
ALAN COOPER

Exhaust Go Home Work
You can get spiritual things out of books and stories and they have nothing to do with religion.
ALAN COOPER

Book Nothing Out Religion Spiritual Story Thing
To our human minds, computers behave less like rocks and trees than they do like humans, so we unconsciously treat them like people.
ALAN COOPER

Behave Computer Human Less Like Rock Mind People Treat Tree Unconsciously
Define what the product will do before you design how the product will do it.
ALAN COOPER

Before Define Design Product
And as soon as any object exhibits sufficient cognitive function, those instincts kick in and we react as though we were interacting with another sentient human being.
ALAN COOPER

Being Human Interact Object React Sentiment Soon Sufficient

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