Surviving Design: career support for creatives everywhere Paperback – March 5, 2026

Surviving Design is a personal, applied book for designers and creatives who feel a little disoriented inside modern tech work, and want clarity without pretending there’s a single correct path.Part memoir, part field guide, it blends honest writing with practical instruments: prompts, exercises, and structured reflections you can use when you’re navigating doubt, transition, pressure, and identity shifts.Ioana Teleanu draws from a decade in design and AI product work, plus the quieter parts people rarely say out loud: the strange grief of changing careers, the confusion of juniorship, imposter syndrome, layoffs, tech gloom, AI fatigue, burnout, and what it’s like to hold ambition while also holding a life.This isn’t a productivity book. It doesn’t try to “fix” you. It offers something rarer: language for what you’re experiencing, and tools to orient yourself through it.Inside you’ll find:- essays + personal reflections (the “why” behind the feelings)- guided exercises and prompts (to help you think, decide, and reset)- perspectives on modern design culture: metrics, hustle, uncertainty, and meaning- a closing annex to stay connected and follow Ioana’s ongoing workIf you’re a designer trying to survive the industry without losing yourself, this book is meant to sit close, to be read slowly, revisited often, and used when your direction feels unclear. Read more