First of Kind › The Joe Gebbia interview

Joe Gebbia, Airbnb co-founder and America's first-ever Chief Design Officer, discusses the initiative to overhaul the digital surfaces of the U.S. government. Gebbia shares his journey from Silicon Valley to Washington, D.C., to address the challenge of modernizing government websites and digital services, drawing inspiration from President Nixon's Federal Beautification Project. A key focus is on bringing consumer-grade experiences to federal properties, exemplified by the successful digitization of the federal employee retirement process, reducing processing time from six months to 60 seconds. Gebbia emphasizes the importance of design in building trust and creating accessible, user-friendly government services, aiming for an "Apple Store-like experience." The National Design Studio will tackle projects such as improving Social Security and Medicare websites, with support from both the government and the technology industry.