Software Design/UML Outdated?

Every company I've worked for as a software developer, it has always been key that designing software is one of the first steps you do before writing the code for it.

At the company I just left, one colleague said "we just do hard refactoring and are 'agile', UML software design is outdated".

Does anyone agree with this statement? I have always worked in an agile environment, but if you really hate UML that much, I would have thought someone would at least design their software they'll be creating on a piece of tissue or something!!! I don't understand this thinking and it worries me… Any thoughts?