Top Six Design Trends That Are Shaping the Future

BOULDER, Colo., Aug. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Sterling-Rice Group (SRG) and New Hope Natural Media, a division of Penton, have identified the top six packaging design trends that are shaping the future and changing consumers' relationships with products. Sterling-Rice Group and New Hope Natural Media's Nutrition Business Journal teamed up for a joint venture called NEXT: The Natural Products Industry Forecast 2014, a report that shares trends in food, packaging design, beauty products, and more - available now www.nextforecast.com. Here is a look at six of the top trends in design:

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130808/CL60913 )

1. Moving Beyond the Mascot: Characters get a life. Brands are creating dimensionalized characters with rich online worlds, social media, games, blogs, videos, and more.
2. Naturally White: A color once reserved for generic and tech products, white infiltrates food and beverage packaging providing a clean, upscale look without distraction.
3. Fantastic Forms: Breakthrough package design comes from advancement in technology and innovative packaging materials. Unique forms now solve problems, serve consumers' needs, and add a new level of appeal to differentiate themselves on shelves.
4. Kid Focused. Adult Friendly: Packages keep kids interested and please adults by communicating company values, creating parent communities, and using innovative forms to help engage kids in new ways and enhance the overall product experience.
5. Sustainable = Endurance: Sustainability has been elevated with packaging that is entirely eco-conscious with zero waste and materials that are completely compostable and even digestible.
6. Cleaning Catches Up: Method was the trailblazer in this category and now others are catching up with high-style packaging for cleaning products that look as good as they clean.

For more detail and examples of the top six design trends, visit www.srg.com. 

About Sterling-Rice Group
Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, Sterling-Rice Group is a nationally recognized leader in brand development. Sterling-Rice Group proudly works with many of the top food and beverage companies in the world, providing research, strategy, design, product development, and marketing communications. Visit www.srg.com for more information.

About New Hope Media
New Hope Natural Media, a division of Penton, is the leading media resource and information provider for the natural, organic and healthy products industry, with print, in-person/event, and e-business products and services.

About Penton
For millions of business owners and decision-makers, Penton makes the difference every day. We engage our professional users by providing actionable ideas and insights, data and workflow tools, community and networking, both in person and virtually, all with deep relevance to their specific industries. We then activate this engagement by connecting users with tens of thousands of targeted providers of products and services to help drive business growth. Learn more about our company at www.penton.com.

Penton is a privately held company owned by MidOcean Partners and U.S. Equity Partners II, an investment fund sponsored by Wasserstein & Co., LP.

SOURCE New Hope Natural Media