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The influence a designer has on their era and future generations is a good measure of their ability. Verner Panton was nothing if not influential. Panton was known for many revolutionary designs, both in form and material. The hallmarks of Panton's work are sculptural elegance, striking form and above all, color. Panton's work stood out from that of his contemporaries in the best possible way.

Panton's life began in the Danish island of Fynen where his father was an inn keeper. He was interested in design which led him to study at the Academy of Art in Copenhagen. In his two year stint at Arne Jacobsen's architectural office, Panton was not the best of employees as he preferred to spend his time on creating his own ideas.

With many identifiable designs to his credit, Panton is an artist. His recognizable monocoque form stacking chair is manufactured by Vitra with modern production materials such as polypropylene (a moldable type of plastic). Other lesser quality reproductions are currently available on the market. Although these copies may have intended to pay homage to the original brilliance of Panton's vision, the poor workmanship in their creation have a greater likelihood of lowering respect for his quality designs. Buyers looking to turn a profit on small savings made by purchasing second rate reproductions may be disappointed when individuals, looking for quality, search elsewhere for the real deal. Visit Vitra for their Panton chair available in orange (quantities limited so act fast).

The Cone chair is another one of Panton's great designs. This type of chair was astonishing when it was first released. It was a huge departure from the standard three or four legged chairs that people were used to. This is what made the Cone chair so different and unique. The first time I saw this chair I was blown away by the optical illusion it produced. It seems to defy the laws of physics by standing perfectly balanced even though it is top-heavy.

These two pieces, combined with Panton's famous interior designs (inredning), had a big influence on the upcoming decade. In 1973, Panton came up with one more iconic design. This time, it was a System 1-2-3 chair made for Fritz Hansen. The System 1-2-3 might sound like a failed formation at a company football challenge, but in fact it's a very well designed chair that is made with flexibility, comfort, and ease of production in mind.

In spite of these three pieces being design classics, the example of Panton's work that you're most likely to come across isn't a chair but instead a lamp. The Flowerpot lamps, both pendant and table, are very widely distributed. This is because the cost of the manufacture is comparitively low, they're small, they come in many colors, they've got the name of a fine designer on them, and most of all, they've got an immediately recognizable classic form.

Because Panton was very prolific in his design work, you could write volumes on his career as a designer. In his day, he pushed boundaries and challenged tradition. In fact, a lot of Panton's designs have transcended the psychedelic stigma associated with the sixties and become timeless contemporary standards of furnishings as well as interior design (inredning).