Story of a Doctoral (Design) Research An Iterative Process

Abstract

This doctoral (design) research reflects the authorship of (visual) storytelling―interpreting, analysing, and translating spatial experiences through drawing. It seeks to enrich the emerging discourse on urban interiority by integrating histories, theories, and design practices - predominantly shaped by Western perspectives - with insights from a non-Western context (Lahore). Initially, it traces the narrative of the transformation of public space and its redefinition to collective space. Secondly, it enables the reconceptualisation of urban interiority by overcoming conventional spatial polarities and embracing continuity of experience. Finally, it develops a (visual) narrative of manifestations of urban interiority as spatial continuum in the (retail-oriented) collective spaces of Lahore. A three-stage research methodology is not a linear sequence but a reflection of an iterative process where each phase reinforms, redefines, and reshapes the others, forming a cohesive and evolving narrative. Structuring the research into two volumes and a set of plates creates a multilayered experience for readers.

Keywords: storytelling, iterative process, urban interiority