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Alan Cooper Quotes

Software programmer

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Famous Alan Cooper Quotes

“Past dreams of bliss our lives contain, And slight the chords that still retain A heart estranged to joys again, To scenes by memory's silver chain Close-linked, and ever yet apart, That like the vine, whose tendrils young Around some fostering branch have clung, Grown with its growth, as tho' it sprung From one united heart.”

HeartStillsDreamPastYoungJoyGrowthMemoriesUnitedOur LivesSceneChainsBlissBranchesSilverLinkedChordsVinesSprungFostering
Author:Alan Cooper
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“A powerful tool in the early stages of developing scenarios is to pretend the interface is magic. If your persona has goals and the product has magical powers to meet them, how simple could the interaction be? This kind of thinking is useful to help designers look outside the box.”

IfsThinkingLooksKindHelpingGoalSimplePowerfulMagicStageProductsToolsBoxesDevelopingDesignerInteractionScenariosPersonaInterfacesOutside The Box
Book:About Face 3: The Essentials of Interaction Design
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“Because computers have memories, we imagine that they must be something like our human memories, but that is simply not true. Computer memories work in a manner alien to human memories. My memory lets me recognize the faces of my friends, whereas my own computer never even recognizes me. My computer's memory stores a million phone numbers with perfect accuracy, but I have to stop and think to recall my own.”

ThinkingHumansFacesMemoriesMy OwnPerfectNumbersMillionsImagineComputerMy FriendsLet MePhonesStoresAliensImagine ThatRecallsAccuracyPhone Numbers
Author:Alan Cooper
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“Ironically, the thing that will likely make the least improvement in the ease of use of software-based products is new technology. There is little difference technically between a complicated, confusing program and a simple, fun, and powerful product.”

LittlesUseFunDifferencesSimplePowerfulTechnologyProductsProgramComplicatedImprovementEaseSoftwareConfusingNew TechnologyEase Of Use
Book:The Inmates are Running the Asylum
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“Keep it simple: In general, interfaces should use simple geometric forms, minimal contours, and a restricted color palette comprised primarily of less-saturated or neutral colors balanced with a few high contrast accent colors that emphasize important information. Typography should not vary widely in an interface.”

ShouldImportantUseFormSimpleInformationColorSimplicityContrastBalancedAccentsVaryPaletteInterfacesSaturatedTypographyKeep It SimpleGeometric
Book:About Face 3: The Essentials of Interaction Design
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“To our human minds, computers behave less like rocks and trees than they do like humans, so we unconsciously treat them like people.... In other words, humans have special instincts that tell them how to behave around other sentient beings, 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.”

PeopleMindHumansHuman BeingsTreeSpecialRocksObjectsComputerTreatsFunctionInstinctBehaveSufficientKicksHuman MindExhibitsCognitiveInteractingSentient Beings
Author:Alan Cooper
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“Run for your lives-the computers are invading. Awesomely powerful computers tackling ever more important tasks with awkward, old-fashioned interfaces. As these machines leak into every corner of our lives, they will annoy us, infuriate us, and even kill a few of us. 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.”

ImportantRunningTurnsPowerfulOur LivesModernComputerTasksMachinesDareCornersMonstersDependentHopefulAnnoyingAwkwardOld FashionedTemptedModern LifeLeaksInterfacesTacklingInvading
Book:The Inmates are Running the Asylum
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