SEASON 1 EPISODE 03: 

We Make Progress:
Simon Jordan &
Gerry Hopkinson

In this bonus episode of That Workplace Experience Podcast, host Dan Moscrop is joined by Simon Jordan and Gerry Hopkinson of We Make Progress — a micro-consultancy specialising in design anthropology and experience strategy for cities, venues and mixed-use developments.

Working at the intersection of culture, identity and place, Simon and Gerry help developers, architects and operators translate human and social insight into clear strategic direction. In this conversation, Dan steps back from a single building to explore a bigger question: what is the workplace really for?

Together, they discuss fluid identity and the changing social contract of work, the “Explore vs Exploit” theory of growth, why meaning matters more than corporate purpose, and why buildings should behave more like living ecologies than static systems. They also unpack their MAPS framework — Meaning, Architecture, Participation and Stewardship — and explain why stewardship begins not at completion, but when the doors open.

This special episode offers a broader cultural lens on how workplaces, neighbourhoods and mixed-use developments can evolve with the people they serve.

Video production and camera: Calum Lindsay
Camera: Miguel Santa Clara
Illustration: Phoebe Gitsham