By Gloria Nosa
U.S. President Donald Trump has appointed Joe Gebbia, co-founder of Airbnb, as the nation’s first Chief Design Officer. Gebbia will lead the newly created National Design Studio (NDS), an agency tasked with modernizing America’s outdated public service websites.
Making Government Digital Services “Beautiful”
Many U.S. government websites have long been criticized for being difficult to use, outdated, and fragmented. Trump’s new initiative aims to change that.
Under an executive order signed Thursday, the NDS will advise federal agencies on usability, aesthetics, and standardized design, while also seeking to cut duplication costs across departments. The studio has been given a three-year mandate, after which it will close.
In a post on X, Gebbia said his goal is to make U.S. digital services “beautiful,” modern, and satisfying to use, likening his vision to the Apple App Store.
“We want government websites to be beautifully designed, run on modern software, and deliver a world-class user experience,” Gebbia wrote.
From DOGE to NDS
The NDS is seen as a leaner successor to the now-defunct Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a controversial initiative once led by billionaire Elon Musk. DOGE collapsed after Musk’s abrupt exit from Trump’s inner circle earlier this year.
Gebbia, who had previously worked on DOGE projects—including digitizing the federal retirement system—will now lead a team of design and tech specialists tasked with reshaping how citizens interact with government online.
Who Is Joe Gebbia?
Gebbia, 44, co-founded Airbnb in 2007 alongside Brian Chesky and Nathan Blecharczyk after struggling to pay rent in San Francisco. What began as a small idea—renting out airbeds to conference attendees—grew into a global travel platform operating in more than 220 countries and regions, hosting over 1.5 billion guest arrivals, and reaching a market value in the tens of billions following its 2020 IPO.
Beyond Airbnb, Gebbia has served on the board of Tesla and built a reputation as a forward-thinking entrepreneur who blends design with technology.
Interestingly, Gebbia was once a major Democratic donor, but shifted his political alignment in 2024, citing disillusionment with his former party. He has since become a vocal supporter of Trump’s agenda.
A Bold Promise
Speaking on his new role, Gebbia pledged to make the U.S. “the most beautiful and usable country in the digital world.”
If successful, the initiative could transform nearly 26,000 federal websites, bringing them in line with modern expectations for simplicity, accessibility, and reliability.
