Steve Morris, Founder and CEO of NEWMEDIA.COM CEO Featured in CNET on Federal Website Modernization Under Joe Gebbia

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, August 27, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Steve Morris, founder and CEO of NEWMEDIA.COM, has been prominently featured in a CNET article covering the White House’s latest digital transformation initiative, which appoints Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia as U.S. Chief Design Officer of a newly formed National Design Studio. The agency’s mission: redesign federal government websites to be more user-friendly, accessible, and engaging while balancing security, compliance, and performance.

The article explores the federal government’s renewed commitment to customer experience (CX) and digital modernization -- a challenge amplified by the complexity of existing legacy systems. Drawing from NEWMEDIA.COM’s extensive experience designing and modernizing large-scale websites and web applications including university, state and government portals, Morris emphasized the importance of a security-first approach that works hand-in-hand with customer-centric design:

“The worst way for federal digital modernization to get stuck is to treat a more slick-looking CX as a separate matter from security requirements,” said Morris. “That doesn't work well. Or, at all.”

Instead, Morris suggests, a more strategic approach to updating website themes can keep accessibility and compliance intact:

“My big unlock for Gebbia's team is to combine those two hacks: no customer-experience change goes to final design without being a security test case, and theme-by-theme modernization. That's how you get the needle moving on federal digital infrastructure.”

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Key Themes from the Article:

• Balancing Usability and Security

As federal agencies rethink the design language of .gov websites, Morris advocates for integrated CX and security workflows to ensure seamless user experience without compromising privacy, data protection, or regulatory compliance.

• Incremental, Scalable Modernization

Morris warns against wholesale redesigns that “rip out” entire site architectures - a costly mistake that can destabilize critical services. Instead, he promotes a theme-by-theme modernization strategy that incrementally updates content and design while preserving accessibility, security frameworks, and continuity of service.

• Designing for Accessibility and Compliance

As digital accessibility laws tighten and user expectations grow, agencies must deliver interfaces that are both inclusive and future-proof. This aligns directly with NEWMEDIA.COM’s EEAT-focused design philosophy which ensures experience, expertise, authority, and trustworthiness are embedded in every digital interaction.

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NEWMEDIA.COM’s Role in the Digital Transformation Landscape

NEWMEDIA.COM has delivered high-performance digital platforms for government agencies, Fortune 500 companies, and enterprise organizations, including veterans’ benefits portals and state and federal program websites. With a deep understanding of UX, CX, and AI-driven optimization, the company is uniquely positioned to support federal initiatives like the National Design Studio in delivering secure, scalable, and user-centric digital experiences.

Read the full CNET article here:

https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/the-white-house-wants-to-beautify-us-websites-this-airbnb-co-founder-is-in-charge/

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About NEWMEDIA.COM

NEWMEDIA.COM is a digital marketing and web development agency specializing in enterprise-scale UX/UI design, customer experience optimization, and AI-ready web architecture. With over 25 years of experience and a portfolio of government, healthcare, startup, SaaS, e-commerce, and Fortune 500 clients, NEWMEDIA.COM builds award-winning digital products that enhance brand visibility, user engagement, and business growth.

For more information, visit https://newmedia.com.

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