Trump Appoints Airbnb Cofounder Gebbia US Chief Design Officer

President Donald Trump has appointed Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia as the first U.S. Chief Design Officer to lead the newly created National Design Studio, an initiative aimed at overhauling the design and functionality of federal digital services. The studio, established by executive order and set to operate for three years, will focus on improving the usability and aesthetics of government websites and interfaces, streamlining services to reduce duplicative costs, and enhancing public trust through cohesive design. Gebbia, who has ties to Elon Musk’s ecosystem and served on Tesla’s board, is expected to bring Silicon Valley innovation and human-centered design principles to federal agencies, including the IRS and healthcare.gov. This appointment follows Trump’s broader strategy to reshape federal agencies for efficiency, continuing efforts initiated by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) project. The National Design Studio will report to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and aims to implement standardized design solutions across government platforms. The initiative contrasts with some of the previous administration’s projects and reflects Trump’s “Make America Beautiful Again” vision extending beyond digital interfaces to physical federal assets.