Gene Hong, Design Leader at Target and founder of Aperture North, brings over 25 years of experience shaping how brands translate creativity into commercial success. Leading a $770M portfolio, Gene operates at the intersection of design, business strategy, and innovation, with a focus on creating culturally relevant, high-impact consumer experiences.

In this conversation, Gene explores why the future of design lies beyond optimization and into “designing for the moment.” From triangulation and imperfect creativity to the rising importance of judgment in an AI-driven world, he challenges leaders to rethink how experience, business acumen, and creative risk come together to drive meaningful growth.

Takeaways

• Great design leaders balance creative output with intentional input to sustain originality and perspective.

• “Triangulation” - combining insights from different contexts - is key to creating unexpected, differentiated outcomes.

• AI increases the volume of ideas, but judgment, experience, and imperfection remain uniquely human advantages.

• Business acumen is essential for designers to gain influence and move ideas from concept to execution.

• Innovation requires organizational space for risk - often a dedicated structure separate from core operations.

LinkedIn
Gene Hong: https://www.linkedin.com/in/genehong/Jochem van der Veer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jochemvdveer/