I wrote a book for designers about AI

Why I Wrote “The Augmented Designer”

How a simple team vote revealed the anxiety keeping designers awake at night

The moment I knew I had to write this book happened during what should have been a routine coaching session.

I was running “Creative Boost with Natan”—a group coaching session where the team voted on what they want to tackle next. When the votes were counted, the results stopped me cold. Right there at number two was: “How can the design team stay ahead of the AI curve?”

Not “How can we use AI tools?” but “How do we stay ahead"—like they were already falling behind in a race they didn’t know they were running.

I looked around at these incredibly talented designers and they were genuinely worried that algorithms were about to make them obsolete. That’s when I realized we weren’t dealing with a tools question. We were dealing with an existential crisis.

The Panic I Keep Seeing Everywhere

For months, I’d been having the same conversation. After workshops, in Slack DMs, on 1-on-1’s, at meetups. Brilliant designers pulling me aside: “Is AI going to replace us? Should I learn Python? Am I screwed?”

But that voting session was different. It wasn’t just individual anxiety—it was an entire team democratically prioritizing their fear. And honestly? It pissed me off.

The Problem with the Current Story

Most AI content for designers is either breathless hype (“AI will solve everything!”) or dystopian fear-mongering (“Everyone’s doomed!”). Neither helps the designer actually trying to navigate this transition. I get it, clicks.

Growing up in Argentina, I learned design the hard way. No fancy software subscriptions. No budget for the “right” tools. Just resourcefulness and the beautiful grind of figuring it out.

That scrappy, make-it-work mentality is exactly what we need with AI.

What I Actually Discovered

I spent months researching Agentic AI-I’ll tell you more about this anoter time-, looking into real client work across continents. I put it in practice myself. Here’s what happened:

AI made me faster, not obsolete. I could generate hundreds of concepts, test copy in multiple languages, synthesize research in minutes. But every decision still needed my judgment, cultural understanding, and ability to read between the lines.

The skills that mattered weren’t being automated. AI could crank out interfaces, but it couldn’t navigate startup politics or understand why users in Mumbai behave differently than users in Mexico City.

The learning curve was manageable. I didn’t need to become a data scientist. I just needed to become a better creative partner.

Most importantly: the designers who’ll win aren’t the ones who know the most about neural networks—they’re the ones who stay most human while leveraging AI’s superpowers.

Writing This Book

The irony isn’t lost on me that I wrote about human-AI collaboration by collaborating with AI. Claude helped me research and expand ideas, but every insight came from my experience with real designers facing real challenges.

This collaboration is the perfect example. AI didn’t replace my creativity—it amplified it. I could focus on vision and values while AI handled the grunt work.

For Every Anxious Designer

If you’re worried about AI, this book is my love letter to your anxiety. Not a dismissive “don’t worry” but a practical “here’s how you thrive.”

I wrote it because I’ve been where you are. I’ve felt that stomach-drop seeing AI generate something that would’ve taken me hours. But I’ve also experienced the rush of using AI to explore possibilities I never could have investigated manually.

The Future I Want

I don’t want AI to replace designers. I want AI-augmented designers creating experiences that were previously impossible. Where we use artificial intelligence to enhance human intelligence, not replace it.

But that future requires designers who understand AI’s capabilities and limitations. Who can leverage its power while keeping human values front and center. Who can dance with machines while staying irreplaceably human.

Your Turn

Writing this book was just the opening move. The real magic happens when you take these ideas and make them your own. When you experiment with AI in ways that reflect your culture and creative voice.

Every designer who chooses collaboration over fear is helping write the next chapter of our profession. You’re not just adapting to the future—you’re creating it.

That’s why I wrote this book. Not to predict what will happen, but to help you decide what should happen.

The conversation starts now. Where will you take it?

“The Augmented Designer” is free because the future of design is too important to gate behind a paywall. If this resonates, I’d love to hear how you’re using AI in your practice. Let’s keep this conversation going.