Trend Designer

Target • Minneapolis, MN

2d • $73,000 - $132,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

A role with the Design team means a big opportunity to start from scratch and create something truly original. Are you a design expert who can support your business by staying one step ahead of industry trends, new materials and techniques? Can you demonstrate the utmost attention to detail and create products that are unprecedented in the marketplace for their design and quality for the price? Then you’ll have success on our Design team who owns the design and development of all Target-owned brands, from apparel to home goods, and beauty to essentials. In close partnership with our merchant and sourcing counterparts, you’ll drive brand cohesion and continuity, ensuring that our products meet the merchant line plans, assortment strategies, price points and overall creative direction.
As a Trend Designer, you will support and be responsible for Owned Brand product brands and/or categories that achieve overall product design strategy and merchant objectives. Under the overall direction of Design leadership, you will work with an assigned category, brand, business or guest segment and manage your own process and calendar. You will be expected to maintain a diligent approach to workload, which includes timely communication with internal and external partners. You’ll support and drive concepts throughout the development process, research, selection of materials/finishes, and the creation of silhouettes/form language. Using CAD/hand sketches, you’ll translate ideas for product direction. This includes preparing professional presentation boards with illustrations, CAD artwork, fabrication, and material samples. In addition, you will support and drive product designs to maintain overall creative direction, merchant line plans, assortment strategies, and price points. You’ll build brand cohesion by partnering with peers across the division to ensure continuity. In collaboration with technical designers/engineers and sourcing partners, you’ll also identify, troubleshoot and resolve product issues.

Team Overview:
The Fun101 Strategy, Concept & Innovation team identifies future opportunities and translates them into actionable strategic and style direction across the Fun101 portfolio, including Play, Sport, Pop Culture, Gadget, Celebrations (Toys, Sporting Goods, Entertainment, Tech Accessories, Seasonal), and Limited Time Only Partnerships.
Operating as both a trend forecasting team and concept studio, we create compelling and differentiated strategies that shape future business, brand, and product vision, connect to enterprise strategic initiatives, and uncover new opportunities for long-term growth.

Core responsibilities of this job are described within this job description. Job duties may change at any time due to business needs.

Core responsibilities of this job are described within this job description. Job duties may change at any time due to business needs.

Requirements

• Four-year degree in Design, Fine Art or related field, or equivalent experience
• 3+ years of relevant experience
• Computer design system skills including InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop
• Experience in CAD illustration or 2D/3D software
• Knowledge of textiles, garment construction/fit or raw materials & product production
• Experience assimilating product feedback
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
• Experience working in a retail or product development environment
• Ability to build relationships in order to successfully work in a team environment
• Ability to respond to business objectives with creative, innovative and cost-effective design solutions

Responsibilities

• Identify and synthesize emerging cultural shifts, consumer behaviors, market dynamics, and aesthetic movements to inform seasonal and long-range trend direction and innovation.
• Monitor innovation, entertainment, technology, licensing, and competitive landscapes to identify emerging opportunities relevant to the Fun101 portfolio
• Support the synthesis and identification of macro trend landscape, emerging opportunity spaces, and future areas of consumer relevance in close partnership with cross-category trend teams.
• Translate macro aesthetics and trends into pyramid-specific guidance across aesthetics, color, material/finish, print & pattern.
• Develop brand and category-specific seasonal and evergreen trend concepts that inform owned brands, product development, assortment activation and cross-category and future innovation opportunities.
• Elevate trend concepts through elevated visual design and refined aesthetic sensibility, crafting cohesive, inspiring narratives and expressions across color, form, imagery, materials and prints/graphics, and storytelling that guides execution across brands and categories.
• Create visually compelling trend reports, mood boards, presentations, and strategic narratives that simplify complex insights and inspire action across all levels of the organization.
• Collaborate closely with trend designers, merchants, insights, owned brand teams, and creative partners to bring trends and concepts to life.
• Independently manage work while balancing multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Support and Influence leadership discussions by translating emerging trends, consumer shifts, and future opportunities into compelling and actionable trends and concepts.
• Build trusted relationships within the team and with cross-functional partners.
• Strong ability to foster inclusion, engaging in positive team culture and model collaboration.
• Lead with curiosity, continuously exploring trends, culture, design, emerging technologies and new ways of thinking to inspire fresh ideas, challenge assumptions, and elevate creative outcomes.
• Consistently engages, inspires and builds trust with team and partners.
• Consistent champion of Target values of inclusivity, connection, and drive.
• Seek feedback, continually refine your craft, and contribute to raising the creative standard across the team.
• This team works on-site 4 days/week from our Downtown Minneapolis campus

Benefits

• comprehensive health benefits and programs, which may include medical, vision, dental, life insurance and more
• 401(k)
• employee discount
• short term disability
• long term disability
• paid sick leave
• paid national holidays
• paid vacation

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree