frog design's New Lily Pad

Star designer Hartmut Esslinger's firm has been acquired by contract manufacturer Flextronics. Is he cashing out or embracing a new challenge?

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August 13, 2004 at 4:00 AM UTC

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By Peter Burrows

On Aug. 3, one of tech's most influential entrepreneurs quietly cashed out on an illustrious 35-year career. Or, to hear him tell it, he paved the way for future achievements of an even grander nature. The luminary in question is Hartmut Esslinger, the co-CEO of frog design. Since he and wife Patricia Roller founded the company in 1969, the 60-year-old free spirit has helped define the aesthetics of the Information Age. Sony's (SNE ) Triniton TV was designed by frog in 1978. Also in the firm's portfolio: Apple's (AAPL ) Macintosh in 1984, and the redesign of Dell's (DELL ) e-commerce Web site in the late 1990s.