Institute of Play

We design experiences that make learning irresistible. The Institute pioneers new models of learning and engagement. We are a not-for-profit design studio, founded in 2007 by a group of game designers in New York City. We are now home to an interdisciplinary team of designers, strategists and learning practitioners. Our first project was the design and implementation of an innovative New York City public school, called Quest to Learn. We empower people to thrive as active citizens in a connected world. Our work unlocks the transformative power of people as seekers and solvers of complex problems, risk takers, inventors and visionaries. We work wherever people are: in communities, businesses, schools, cultural and civic institutions. At the core of the experiences we design are games, play and the principles that underlie them. Using these principles, we have created successful institutions, games, programs, events, digital platforms and products. We realize new possibilities now. We are not preparing for a distant future. We are about meeting people where they are and igniting their potential now. We work with a diverse set of partners to make it happen, such as Electronic Arts, Intel, the Mozilla Foundation, the Museum of Modern Art, the Smithsonian, E-Line Media and others.