A Fine Line: How Design Strategies Are Shaping the Future of Business Hardcover – Illustrated, June 11, 2009

As a new venture strategist I recognize every day the "fine line" between home run deals and strike-out deals. This book is a great read about a great designer and his even more famous clients. This book offers one reality check after another. The reader has to have his/her attitude on "Got-to-Have" mode to take away the jewels Hartmut has packed in this box. Hartmut didn't have to write this book and give away so many secrets about frog design's success - he did and I'm better off today for it.

This book, while a little short is something that every designer should read. This book along with Design Forward point out how just how small of a total vision most designers have in respect to the product they are designing. Not just that particular item but also where the materials come from, the influence the factory has on the surrounding area, what happens after its used and so on. Short but excellent read.

First, this book is dated. It was written before Facebook was on the stage, and the innovations over the last 12+ years are a glaring gap as you read this.Second, the bulk of this book centered around the author's ego and the big name people he knows and works for. The book talks repeatedly about all the companies who hired him and succeeded. Conversely, it was not shy in associating failures with a companies refusal to hire him, and it seems like any pitch he didn't win was due to lack of innovative thought on the part of the client. Additionally, the author seems to go out of his way to avoid discussion of failures, outside 1-2 that had nothing to do with his core business.There is one chapter that talks in detail about the environmental impact of design that I felt was really interesting. It is because of this chapter that I bumped the review to the 2nd star (and only because 1/2 stars aren't accepted).Beyond that, I definitely don't recommend

I really liked "A fine line". Harmut Esslinger shares his experience and insights gathered during all his carreer. His wisdom about "selectivity" explained as a key carreer success is one the most useful advice I found in the book. He is very convincing in his field, the industrial design, a bit less when it comes to digital design. But still A Fine Line is worth reading, as it is rare to access so directly to the thinking of great "design achievers" such as Harmut Esslinger.

loved the book, the insights and most of all the advice to all aspiring creative professionals. fully recommend the book.

Very useful, I won't lie. But you do have to get past the fact that he is speaking of his company's conquests, so pretty much everyone who took his advice succeeded and everyone who didn't "failed."

Mind blown.

Great!!