<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 3</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="960" height="540" src="https://octet-gatsby.in2.cdn-alpha.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/25-06-25-Airbnb-CEO-Brian-Chesky-wants-to-build-the-everything-app.webp" alt="Brian Chesky" class="wp-image-24491" srcset="https://octet-gatsby.in2.cdn-alpha.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/25-06-25-Airbnb-CEO-Brian-Chesky-wants-to-build-the-everything-app.webp 960w, https://octet-gatsby.in2.cdn-alpha.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/25-06-25-Airbnb-CEO-Brian-Chesky-wants-to-build-the-everything-app-300x169.webp 300w, https://octet-gatsby.in2.cdn-alpha.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/25-06-25-Airbnb-CEO-Brian-Chesky-wants-to-build-the-everything-app-768x432.webp 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" /></figure>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Synopsis</h4>



<p>In a bold services redesign, Airbnb’s CEO reimagines the app, merging travel design with lifestyle ambitions.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Key takeaways</h4>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Airbnb shifts from a utility app to an emotional, curated experience.</li>



<li>Chesky revives founder-led micromanagement to fix bloated operations.</li>



<li>Apple-style functional teams replace traditional corporate hierarchy.</li>



<li>Design becomes the tool to merge AI, trust, and multi-service expansion.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Airbnb’s identity</h2>



<p>In a revealing episode of Decoder with Nilay Patel, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Chesky" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky</a> opened up about the platform’s future—and it’s not just rentals anymore. &#8220;We&#8217;re in a midlife crisis,&#8221; he admits, positioning <a href="https://www.airbnb.co.in/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Airbnb</a> to go far beyond booking homes. </p>



<p>With a sweeping redesign of its app and a new focus on services—think chefs, trainers, and masseuses—Chesky is betting big on becoming a lifestyle super-app. “I want Airbnb to be used every week, not once or twice a year,” he declared.</p>



<p>This pivot signals an existential shift. No longer is Airbnb just a travel utility; it&#8217;s a design-centric ecosystem that fuses logistics with emotion. But is this growth, or mission drift?</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Flat design is dead</h2>



<p>One of the most notable shifts? Airbnb’s visual direction. Chesky throws shade on the once-trendy flat design, saying it “stripped the soul” out of digital products. </p>



<p>The app is now reimagined with depth—&#8221;a bolder visual language&#8221; meant to evoke feelings, not just facilitate transactions.</p>



<p>“I didn’t want it to feel like a database,” Chesky explained. </p>



<p>Every screen now encourages discovery, with revamped Explore tabs and immersive visuals designed to feel like flipping through a lifestyle magazine, rather than scrolling through a booking engine. </p>



<p>It’s a challenge to both UI designers and <a href="https://octet.design/journal/best-design-systems/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">design systems</a>: how do you make digital feel human again?</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Founder mode: Chesky’s Apple-inspired structure</h2>



<p>Airbnb’s pivot isn’t just aesthetic—it’s structural. </p>



<p>Chesky has torn up the old corporate playbook, replacing traditional business units with Apple-style “functional teams.” </p>



<p>Designers, engineers, and marketers now report up through their disciplines rather than general managers. It’s more craftsmanship, less corporate ladder.</p>



<p>In Chesky’s words: “Designers should work for designers, engineers for engineers.” This shift centralizes design quality and product consistency, echoing his mentorship under <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jony_Ive" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Jony Ive</a>. </p>



<p>Chesky even jokes he was “meddling” too much—then realizes that was the job. He’s now deep in the details, approving product specs and redesign briefs himself.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Airbnb CEO and Cofounder Brian Chesky Talks App Redesign | Bloomberg Talks" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/v6By8C2IDeA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Designing trust in an AI-first travel world</h2>



<p>With the rise of <a href="https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/ai-agents" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">AI agents</a>, Chesky is cautious. He doesn’t want Airbnb reduced to a backend for ChatGPT or Siri. His goal? To ensure the interface remains “visual, human, and trustworthy.”</p>



<p>Yes, AI is coming to Airbnb. It’ll help users get recommendations and service providers manage bookings. But design will be the guardian, keeping human interaction at the center. </p>



<p>“I don’t think people will just want to talk to an agent. They’ll want to browse,” Chesky says.</p>



<p>He’s designing against disintermediation—making sure Airbnb is not just a product but a destination. The interface becomes the brand’s last defense in a world of faceless algorithms.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Services expansion</h2>



<p>Chesky’s most controversial move is expanding Airbnb into daily services. A curated network of chefs, hair stylists, dog walkers, and yoga instructors is already being piloted in LA. It’s part Airbnb, part Uber, part Thumbtack.</p>



<p>The $200–$250 million investment isn&#8217;t just about features. It’s about designing a new use case: staying in, booking a haircut, and ordering a private dinner—all through Airbnb.</p>



<p>But here’s the catch: trust. “The biggest challenge is safety and trust,” Chesky says, recognizing that scaling this without diluting Airbnb’s identity is no small task. </p>



<p>Airbnb’s vetting system and brand equity become the design layer that legitimizes this bold expansion.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Designers, take notes</h2>



<p>This isn’t just a tech update. It’s a masterclass in using design to steer business transformation. </p>



<p>From visual identity to structural reorgs, Chesky is rewriting the rules—with pixels, teams, and services. And he’s doing it in public, with the stakes higher than ever.</p>



<p>For product designers and strategists, the Airbnb redesign is a rare moment: a founder-led, design-first bet on the future of travel and trust. </p>



<p>Whether it flies or flops, Chesky’s vision is forcing the design industry to re-examine what “experience” really means.</p>



<p><a href="https://octet.design/journal/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe</a> to our global Design Journal and stay updated with the daily <a href="https://octet.design/journal/design-news/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">design news</a>.</p>
<footer class="author-bio-section" ><div class="author-flex"><div class="author-image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="90" height="90" src="https://octet-gatsby.in2.cdn-alpha.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/IMG_1457-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-90x90 size-90x90" alt="" /></div><div class="author-info"><div class="author-name"><strong>Jayshree Ochwani</strong></div><p class="author-bio">Jayshree Ochwani is a seasoned content strategist and communications professional passionate about crafting compelling and impactful messaging. With years of experience creating high-quality content across various platforms, she brings a keen eye for detail and a unique ability to transform ideas into engaging narratives that captivate and resonate with diverse audiences.

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