Storytelling as the Secret Weapon in Workplace Design: The Jordy Dent Approach
Update: 2025-09-16
Description
For Jordy Dent, every successful design starts with a story. Experience shows that it’s the designers who question the brief, dig deeper, and uncover the story behind the space who create work worth remembering. And, we’re talkin’ in the latest episode of Space by Stansons. Tune in as host Guy Stanley welcomes Jordy Dent, Creative Director at B Corp-certified Area, for an engaging conversation on all things story-led and purpose-driven.
What You’ll Learn
- How to use storytelling as the foundation for workplace design
- Why starting with a strong “why” keeps projects aligned and clients engaged
- How to uncover a client’s culture, tone of voice, and values - even without direct access
- The power of discovery elements in keeping a design story alive over time
- Why deep research and early thinking pay off in faster, more confident delivery
- How to integrate sustainability as part of the story, not an afterthought
Tune in for a timely reminder that a clear “why” and authentic storytelling can elevate your design far beyond what any formal qualification alone can deliver.
Jordy Dent is the Creative Director at Area, a leading design and build firm and certified B Corp. Known for his storytelling-led approach to workplace design, Jordy’s career began without a formal degree, instead shaped by hands-on construction experience, freelance projects, and early leadership roles in design teams. Today, he leads a creative pod at Area, overseeing day-to-day design output while mentoring his team and collaborating closely with clients to bring brand stories to life through physical space. His work blends strategy, creativity, and meticulous detail, with sustainability and client culture at the core.
If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Instructions on how to do this are here: https://www.fame.so/follow-rate-review
Episode Highlights
- 00:00 Introduction & Meeting Jordy Dent of Area
- 01:49 Creative Director vs. Design Director: The X Factor
- 03:04 Why Practical Experience Outweighs a Degree
- 06:51 Breaking into Workplace Design the Non-Traditional Way
- 08:15 Storytelling as the Foundation for Design
- 11:05 Uncovering a Client’s Story: Process & Deep Dives
- 13:47 How 2 Days of Thinking Can Save 2 Weeks of Rework
- 17:03 Winning a Pitch With the “Wrong” Concept
- 20:30 The Essence of Storytelling and its Campfire Roots
- 24:22 The “Why” Of Your Project: Advice and Lessons Learnt
- 27:06 Why Overthinking Can Give You a Creative Edge
- 29:31 Unusual Discoveries in Client Research
- 33:26 Creative Inspiration from Disney Imagineers
- 35:26 Closing Thoughts & Recommendations
Episode Resources:
Jordy Dent on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordy-d-42374910a/
Area Website: https://www.area.co.uk
Guy Stanley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guystanley
Learn more about Stansons Group Ltd. here: https://stansons.co.uk
Area Website: https://www.area.co.uk
Guy Stanley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guystanley
Learn more about Stansons Group Ltd. here: https://stansons.co.uk
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In Channel
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