The Extrapolation Factory is a design-based research studio for participatory futures studies, founded in 2012 by Chris Woebken and Elliott P. Montgomery. The studio develops experimental methods for collaboratively prototyping, experiencing and impacting future scenarios.
Central to these methods is the creation of hypothetical future props and their deployment in familiar contexts such as 99¢ stores, science museums, vending machines and city sidewalks. With this work, the studio is exploring new territories for democratized futures by rapidly imagining, prototyping, deploying and evaluating visions of possible futures on an extended time scale.
As of 2024, The Extrapolation Factory is on pause. This site serves as a comprehensive archive of our decade-plus of research, projects, and publications.
Central to these methods is the creation of hypothetical future props and their deployment in familiar contexts such as 99¢ stores, science museums, vending machines and city sidewalks. With this work, the studio is exploring new territories for democratized futures by rapidly imagining, prototyping, deploying and evaluating visions of possible futures on an extended time scale.
As of 2024, The Extrapolation Factory is on pause. This site serves as a comprehensive archive of our decade-plus of research, projects, and publications.
For the founders’ current practices: Chris Woebken ↗ · Elliott P. Montgomery ↗
Contacts:
General inquiries and archival access: extrapolationfactory@gmail.com
Studio Mailbox:
Extrapolation Factory
19 Morris Ave
11205 Brooklyn, NY
Elsewhere: Flickr, Instagram, X, YouTube
We have worked with many partners and organizations including the following:
- apexart
- Arts Council Malta
- Autodesk Research
- Boys & Girls Club of Rockford and Chicago (Bronzeville)
- California College of the Arts
- Canadian Centre for Architecture
- Columbia University’s Studio-X NYC
- ComEd
- Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
- The Dalton School
- Deep Science Ventures
- Estonian Academy of Arts
- Estonian Foresight Centre
- Exhibit Columbus
- Eyebeam
- Forum for the Future
- Franconia Sculpture Park
- Genspace
- Ginkgo Bioworks
- Graham Foundation
- Hopscotch Design Festival
- IDEO
- Invisible Exports
- MCAST
- Mississippi Watershed Management Organization
- Mmuseumm
- Museum of Arts and Design
- National Center for Atmospheric Research
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
- NurtureArt
- NYC Emergency Management
- NYU
- Ontario College of Art and Design
- Parsons School of Design
- PS 147
- Queens Museum
- The Royal College of Art
- The Shed
- Storefront for Art and Architecture
- Strelka Institute
- SVA’s Products of Design
- TED
- Time’s Up
- UNICEF
- University of Delaware
- University of Minnesota
- University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design
- University of Southern California
- Valletta 2018 Foundation
- Walker Art Center
- Z33
Press coverage, publications and talks are listed on the Press page.