The National Design Studio Became a DOGE Landing Pad. Now ‘Big Balls’ Is Recruiting
The National Design Studio (NDS), a White House unit tasked with redesigning government websites, has emerged as a quiet successor to Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), retaining several of its former operatives and much of its opaque, informal approach to hiring and operations. Led by Airbnb cofounder Joe Gebbia, the country's chief design officer, NDS says its aim is to make government sites "beautifully designed" with a "great user experience", but it sits within the Executive Office of the President and appears to bypass standard federal recruitment channels such as USAJobs, echoing DOGE's earlier practices.
Key figures from DOGE's original team, including Edward "Big Balls" Coristine and Akash Bobba, have moved into NDS roles, with Coristine now serving as head of engineering despite a chequered background involving a terminated internship over a suspected data leak. Bobba reportedly retained an unpaid appointment at the Office of Personnel Management until 7 March 2026, months after joining NDS, according to court filings from a federal workers' union lawsuit. An engineer who received a cold recruitment pitch from Coristine described the interview process as informal to the point of having no established structure, with no recruiter present and no clear application route publicly available. The White House, NDS, HHS and OPM did not respond to requests for comment.
In short
- National Design Studio quietly continues DOGE's work and staff under new branding
- "Big Balls" Coristine now leads engineering, recruiting informally via cold pitches
- Hiring lacks transparency; no public application process or USAJobs listing
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The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The National Design Studio's flexible hiring approach reflects the legitimate need to attract specialised digital and design talent into government service. Top technologists and designers often avoid traditional federal bureaucracy; recruiting talented engineers directly through informal networks is more practical for a small, mission-focused unit tasked with modernising government websites. Joe Gebbia's appointment as chief design officer recognises that government digital transformation requires private sector expertise and methods, including nimble hiring practices that Silicon Valley professionals expect.
The case against
Federal hiring procedures exist to ensure transparency, equal opportunity, and accountability—principles fundamental to democratic governance. Bypassing USAJobs and standard vetting channels creates an insular hiring process that excludes qualified candidates and prevents public scrutiny. The presence of individuals with questionable backgrounds, such as Coristine's terminated internship over a suspected data breach, suggests inadequate personnel oversight. Government offices must operate under established rules; circumventing these rules to achieve efficiency ultimately undermines public trust and fairness.
Explained simply
The National Design Studio is a White House unit set up to improve government websites, including how they look and how easy they are to use. It is led by Joe Gebbia, an Airbnb co-founder who serves as the country’s chief design officer.
The studio is part of the Executive Office of the President, which supports the president’s work. Some people who previously worked for the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, have moved to the studio; among them are engineer Edward “Big Balls” Coristine and Akash Bobba.
How the studio recruits matters because federal jobs commonly use public hiring routes such as USAJobs. Reports describe NDS hiring as informal and say its public application process is unclear, raising questions about how people are selected for roles in a government office.