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proposed sensory friendly endcap in ulta:
The World of Verner Panton: Optimism and provocation and experimentation and defiance.
TOOLS
Illustrator, InDesign, AfterEffects, Photoshop
TIMELINE
9 Weeks, Spring 2026
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Verner Panton was a pioneering Danish designer known for his radical use of color, sculptural forms, and unconventional approach to furniture and interiors. This project explores his boundary-pushing design philosophy through a contemporary lens, translating his playful, experimental spirit into a series of experiences across print, motion, and digital media.
ARTEFACT 01
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The Animation
Using archival footage and a carefully edited interview with his daughter, Carin Panton, I built a narrative that begins with a single object—the Panthella lamp—and unfolds into his larger design philosophy. By alternating between stylized illustrations inspired by his forms and archival imagery of his actual designs, I created a dialogue between interpretation and documentation.
ARTEFACT 02
ARTEFACT 03
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The Booklet
Rather than presenting Panton’s work as a retrospective of iconic objects, I wanted to tell a story of his imagination at increasingly larger scales. The booklet moves from his early explorations of furniture and materiality to his philosophy of color and form, culminating in the immersive environments he created. This progression reveals how Panton’s ideas transcended individual objects to shape entire worlds, ultimately celebrating his legacy as a visionary rather than simply a designer.
The Poster
I used the sculptural silhouette of Panton’s iconic chair as a graphic element, drawing on its dramatic curves and negative space to shape the composition, while the background takes inspiration from the saturated, complementary colors of his Visiona II environments. Together, these elements reinterpret Panton’s philosophy of Gesamtkunstwerk—the “total work of art”—where typography, form, and color become part of one cohesive visual experience.
The App
The challenge was to translate Panton’s design legacy into an interactive mobile experience for audiences unfamiliar with his work. Moving beyond the limitations of print, I explored how navigation, motion, and playful interactions could make discovering his world feel intuitive and engaging. The result is a digital experience that balances storytelling and education with moments of surprise and delight.
Final Thoughts
It was an absolute privilege to spend a semester immersed in Verner Panton’s wonderfully unconventional world. Beyond gaining a deeper appreciation for his work, this project challenged me to think about what it really means to draw inspiration from another designer—not simply borrowing their visual language, but understanding the ideas and intentions behind it. More than anything, it was a reminder of how playful, daring, and delightfully unexpected design can be when we give ourselves the freedom to experiment.
Dipika Sharma · 2026
dipikaannesharma@gmail.com
RESUME · LinkedIn
