In this episode, we sit down with Kate Bradley and Pam Smith—two former dealer designers who made the jump to the A&D world and now work at HKS. They open up about what that transition was really like, from unexpected stress relief to letting go of manufacturer sales goals and adapting to new tech.

We dive into the sometimes tricky dynamic between dealerships and A&D firms, and what it takes to collaborate well. Kate and Pam share what they wish they had known earlier, bust a few myths (like whether fancy renderings actually help win projects), and offer real, practical advice for building better partnerships.

Register for FREE to attend the webinar Bridging the Gap: Strengthening Collaboration Between Dealer Designers and A+D

Submit a question for the panelists link: https://www.thedesignpop.com/pie-2025-questions

Learn more about POP into Excellence 2025; a professional development event for dealer designers & design leaders

The Design Pop is an Imagine a Place Production (presented by OFS)

Connect with Alexandra on LinkedIn

Follow The Design Pop on LinkedIn