U.S. National Design Studio appoints Peter Arnell to lead government digital branding overhaul

Tue, 05 May 2026 22:39:00 +0200

Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia is expanding his involvement in the U.S. National Design Studio, a government initiative aimed at improving the usability and design of federal digital services. During The Wall Street Journal’s “Future of Everything” conference, Gebbia announced the appointment of veteran designer and marketer Peter Arnell as the first U.S. Chief Brand Architect. Arnell, who has worked with major global brands such as Samsung, Pepsi, and Chrysler, will focus on creating a more consistent and user-friendly experience across government websites.

Rather than rebranding the country itself, Arnell emphasized that the goal is to unify the look, feel, and functionality of government digital platforms to build trust among citizens. The challenge is significant: the initiative involves redesigning approximately 27,000 government websites. The team, composed of Silicon Valley designers and engineers, is applying principles used in successful consumer applications like Airbnb to sim