AI made design faster. Now leaders need to make it better.

Episode web page: https://bit.ly/42TFjM4 Episode summary: In this episode of Insights Unlocked, Manú Bartlett speaks with Pedro Hernandez, advocacy manager for EMEA and Latin America at Figma, about how AI is reshaping design, leadership, and the future of creative work. Drawing from more than 15 years of experience across UX, product design, and design operations, Pedro shares why the industry is moving beyond a narrow focus on speed and toward a deeper balance between experimentation, craft, and human-centered thinking. Pedro explores how design communities across Europe and Latin America are adapting to AI in different ways, why leaders must rethink how they evaluate design work in the age of rapid prototyping, and how “craft” now means being intentional, critical, and thoughtful when collaborating with AI tools. He also discusses the growing importance of soft skills, curiosity, and research as teams become more multidisciplinary again. The conversation also dives into how leaders can stay connected to customer needs while navigating AI-driven workflows, why experimentation matters at every level of an organization, and how Figma is researching what design leaders truly need from modern collaboration tools. You’ll learn: How AI is changing the relationship between speed, experimentation, and design craft Why the best design leaders are learning to balance rapid production with intentional decision-making What “craft” means in the era of AI-powered design workflows How Latin American and European design communities are approaching AI differently Why curiosity, research, and soft skills are becoming more important in modern product teams How leaders can stay closer to customers while adopting new AI tools and workflows Why the future of design may look more multidisciplinary and collaborative again Resources & links Pedro Hernandez on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/pedrohernandez/) Figma's Config (https://config.figma.com/) Figma’s State of Design report (https://www.figma.com/state-of-design/) Manú Bartlett on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/manubartlett/) Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/) Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast