but I would really love to see some sort of lite versions of Functional specifications & design specifications come back.
None of those things are disclaimed by Agile. Agile never meant "don't do any design, requirements gathering, or specification." If the people you're working with think that "being Agile" means you can't do those things, then quit and go work somewhere else.
Remember, "there is no such thing as Agile." That is, there is no specific process or methodology named "Agile" which is prescriptive and says "don't do design". Agile is an umbrella term that encompasses a wide spectrum of different methodologies, including Scrum, XP, AUP, Crystal, DAD, SAFe, etc. Those different methodologies may argue for more or less emphasis on up-front design, but I'm not aware of any of them that disclaim it completely. If your people are saying "Agile doesn't let us do design" then they're full of shit.
None of those things are disclaimed by Agile. Agile never meant "don't do any design, requirements gathering, or specification." If the people you're working with think that "being Agile" means you can't do those things, then quit and go work somewhere else.
Remember, "there is no such thing as Agile." That is, there is no specific process or methodology named "Agile" which is prescriptive and says "don't do design". Agile is an umbrella term that encompasses a wide spectrum of different methodologies, including Scrum, XP, AUP, Crystal, DAD, SAFe, etc. Those different methodologies may argue for more or less emphasis on up-front design, but I'm not aware of any of them that disclaim it completely. If your people are saying "Agile doesn't let us do design" then they're full of shit.