Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia to oversee design across US

 

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order establishing a National Design Studio as part of the America by Design initiative, aimed at improving the usability, visual design, and overall experience of federal services. According to several sources familiar with the matter, Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia has been selected to serve as the government’s first Chief Design Officer.

 

The National Design Studio will operate within the White House Office of the Chief of Staff and is scheduled to run for three years. Gebbia will coordinate with federal agencies, recruit design experts, and provide guidance on standardizing design practices to reduce duplication and improve efficiency.

trump selects airbnb co-founder joe gebbia as inaugural US chief design officer
image via @joegebs

 

 

trump’s america by design to modernize federal services

 

Bloomberg reports that Joe Gebbia, Airbnb co-founder, has been selected as the government’s first Chief Design Officer. He will oversee the National Design Studio’s work to improve high-impact websites and physical locations that affect Americans’ daily interactions with government services. Agency heads are directed to consult with him on implementing these improvements, while the studio will also coordinate with the Administrator of General Services to update the United States Web Design System and ensure compliance with the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act. According to the White House, ‘with a sprawling ecosystem of digital services offered to Americans, the Government has lagged behind in usability and aesthetics. It is time to fill the digital potholes across our Nation.’

trump selects airbnb co-founder joe gebbia as inaugural US chief design officer
Donald Trump speaking at the 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland | image by Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license