The Inmates Are Running the Asylum
The Inmates Are Running the Asylum
Alan Cooper
Brian Armstrong
Products fail by trying to be all things to all people. - Brian Armstrong
Jeff Atwood
This is the book that introduced the world to the concept of personas. - Jeff Atwood
Marty Cagan
This is from one of my favorite books. - Marty Cagan
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The Inmates Are Running the Asylum

The Inmates Are Running the Asylum: Why High Tech Products Drive Us Crazy and How to Restore the Sanity

Alan Cooper
By
Alan Cooper
3.9
196
ratings on Goodreads

In "The Inmates Are Running the Asylum," Alan Cooper delivers a searing critique of the software development industry, exposing how a fundamental disconnect between programmers and their users has led to a digital landscape rife with frustration and inefficiency. With a keen eye, Cooper unveils the paradox of progress in the tech world: as software becomes more complex and feature-laden, it paradoxically becomes less user-friendly and more alienating for the average person. Through a series of captivating examples and insightful analysis, Cooper argues that the heart of the problem lies in the industry's failure to prioritize the user's experience, leading to a world where technology, rather than empowering individuals, often leaves them feeling incompetent and overwhelmed. Cooper does not just diagnose the problem; he also offers a compelling vision for a future where technology serves humanity, not the other way around. By advocating for a shift in the ethos of software development towards empathy and user-centric design, he challenges programmers, managers, and designers to rethink their approach to innovation. "The Inmates Are Running the Asylum" is both a wake-up call and a roadmap for creating technology that enriches lives rather than complicating them. It is an essential read for anyone involved in the creation or use of digital products, offering a path forward to a more accessible and user-friendly digital age.

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Released
1999
23 Mar
Length
255
Pages

3

recommendations

recommendation

This is from one of my favorite books. - Marty Cagan
This is the book that introduced the world to the concept of personas. - Jeff Atwood
Products fail by trying to be all things to all people. - Brian Armstrong
In all other construction disciplines, engineers plan a construction strategy that craftmen execute. Engineers don't build bridges; ironworkers do. Only in software is the engineer tasked with actually building the product. Only in software is the "ironworker" tasked with determining how the product will be constructed.
— Alan Cooper, The Inmates Are Running the Asylum

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