National Design Studio recruiting got a public boost from Edward Coristine, the former Department of Government Efficiency employee known as “Big Balls,” when he encouraged followers of his X account to apply to the White House office. Reuters reported the message on November 23, 2025, while also reporting that DOGE had ceased operating as a centralized entity.
The post does not establish that Coristine worked for the National Design Studio, held a job title there, or had authority to hire anyone. Nor do the available reports specify which roles were open, how many positions existed, or the terms of any recruitment process.
Still, the appeal fits a documented personnel overlap between the two efforts. Reuters reported that at least two prominent DOGE employees had become involved with the studio. Earlier, WIRED reported, citing people familiar with the arrangement, that some DOGE operatives were joining the new office and that it would be staffed at least partly by DOGE personnel affiliated with the General Services Administration.
What is the National Design Studio?
President Donald Trump created the National Design Studio by executive order in August 2025. The office sits in the Executive Office of the President and is led by Airbnb cofounder Joe Gebbia, whom Trump named chief design officer of the United States, according to WIRED and Federal News Network.
Its assigned job is to improve the design and usability of federal websites and digital services through the administration’s “America by Design” initiative. The office has said its ambitions include services people use for passport renewal, tax filing, green-card applications, student-loan repayment and Social Security benefits. Those are stated goals, not evidence that the systems have been improved.
A White House spokesperson told WIRED that the studio was recruiting software engineers and designers from both inside and outside government. Gebbia previously participated in DOGE work at the Office of Personnel Management, where he led an effort to modernize the federal retirement application system, according to Federal News Network.
What happened to DOGE?
DOGE’s initial high-profile run faded after Elon Musk left government in 2025. In November, Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor told Reuters that DOGE no longer existed as a centralized entity; Reuters reported that OPM had taken over many of its functions.
The National Design Studio is not formally described as DOGE’s successor. It has a distinct White House mandate focused on government-facing design and digital services. But reporting supports a narrower conclusion: former DOGE personnel became involved with the studio, while Coristine separately used his own X account to steer followers toward applying.
The distinction is not academic. A social-media recruitment prompt is not proof of a formal appointment, a staffing decision, or delegated hiring power. Public reporting has not established Coristine’s exact relationship to the National Design Studio, if any.
This story draws on original reporting from WIRED.
