UX Murder Mystery Podcast

Design • New episodes every Wednesday

The Bullseye Bait and Switch.

Target built its brand on a simple promise: expect more, pay less — and for a while, it delivered. Inclusive sizing. Accessible stores. Diverse representation. It was a masterclass in mass customization — the idea that good UX could scale across every kind of customer.

Then the backlash came. And Target blinked.

In this episode, Brian and Eve are joined by J. Tod Fetherling — entrepreneur, healthcare tech veteran, and author — to investigate how one of retail's most design-forward brands abandoned its inclusive design commitments under pressure, what that reveals about the limits of "design for everyone," and why DEI was never really baked into the experience — it was bolted on.