Alan Cooper

Alan Cooper is a celebrated author who has written several books on software design, user experience and prototyping. He has been involved in software design since the early 1980s and has written books on topics like user interface software, business process automation, and more. Cooper is the founder of Cooper, a design and strategy firm that focuses on user experience (UX) design and human-centered design.

Cooper's first book, About Face: The Essentials of Interaction Design, was published in 1995. In it, he argued for the importance of user-centered design. The book has been updated with new versions every three to four years and is considered a classic book in the UX genre. It covers a range of topics, from how to design usable interfaces to user research techniques to the history of computing.

Cooper is also the author of many other books on UX, including The Inmates are Running the Asylum (1998) and The Inmates Are Still Running the Asylum (2004). The first book argues for better software design, while the second argues for a better business culture. These books are essential reads for anyone interested in UX design and the software engineering process.

In 2011, Cooper wrote another book, titled Prototyping: A Practitioner's Guide. As the title implies, it is a guide to prototyping and covers topics like how to create, test and iterate software prototypes. The book was written in collaboration with Microsoft Press, and it's a must-read for UX practitioners.

In addition to writing books, Cooper is also an advocate and thought leader in the UX field. He regularly speaks at conferences and gives talks to companies, universities and organizations about UX design. He is also a founding member of the Design Council of the United Kingdom and sits on the board of directors of the Interaction Design Association.

Overall, Alan Cooper is highly regarded in the UX industry. His books are foundational texts for the field, and his advocacy for better user experience is highly appreciated. He is an important contributor to the field, and his contributions should be celebrated and recognized.