Alan Cooper

Alan has been a pioneer in the worlds of software and user experience for more than 40 years and now is influencing a new generation of Web designers and entrepreneurs. In 1992, Alan and his wife, Sue, co-founded the first interaction design consulting firm, Cooper. Within a few years, Cooper had established the basic design methods that today are in use across the industry and helped to popularize the notion that digital technology should not terrorize its human users. He invented design personas, which are in almost universal use in the field of user experience. He has shared his tools, knowledge, and experience in two best-selling book that are still in print and widely quoted. In 1988, Alan invented a dynamically extensible visual programming tool and sold it to Bill Gates, who released it to the world as Visual Basic—arguably the most successful programming language ever. He started his first software company in 1976, producing the “first serious business software for microcomputers.” Today, Alan continues to advocate for more humane technology from his 50-acre, former dairy farm in the rolling hills north of San Francisco.