"We all face the same challenges" says Karma's Nicholas David

Moving up in the world of design — or simply staying pace with the pack — takes more than talent alone. Connecting with industry peers and even those in fields beyond automotive can be hugely beneficial. 

That's the view of Karma Automotive's VP of design, Nicholas David, who reflected on the nature of relationship building shortly after leaving the stage at Car Design Dialogues Detroit 2025. 

"When you're in college, you're right next to other disciplines and you can see what everyone else is doing — product design, fashion — and bringing some of those techniques or ideas to car design. I realised I didn't do this as much as I should have when I was a student, so it was good to chat about this today."

Even to this day, David champions events that bring different corners of the industry together to create an open forum for discussion: "Being here in Detroit we can see the problems or ideas that everyone is facing at the moment. Sometimes it can feel like you're siloed and that only you or your studio is going up against certain challenges, so it's good to catch up with other brands, studios and students and hear how they are addressing those. Seeing everybody else's perspective is great." 

David spoke as part of a wider panel at Car Design Dialogues Detroit 2025. The highlights of that session are listed in the article below.