Reading, thinking, mapping, and methodological development. This work began at the start of the project and continues as the research progresses. It includes the literature review, the development of the research methodology, the spatial mapping of the research area in Tshwane, and the ongoing refinement of the conceptual framework that shapes the study.

Visiting potential study sites across central Tshwane to identify the specific informal taxi stops that will be studied in depth. This phase also includes early conversations with potential institutional partners, the taxi industry, and other contacts relevant to the next phase of the work.

Sustained fieldwork at two to three selected sites. This phase involves observation, interviews with drivers, marshals, vendors, residents, and passengers, and the distribution of questionnaires to a wider sample of users. The aim is to understand each site in depth: how it is used, by whom, when, and what people who use it would most want to see changed.

A design competition with students from a partner South African tertiary institution. Students develop redesign proposals for the study sites, grounded in the community input gathered during the previous phase. Selected designs are then presented back to community members and institutional stakeholders for validation and feedback. 

Synthesis of all findings into a transferable design framework, completion of the doctoral dissertation, publication of academic outputs, and engagement with policy and industry audiences. The aim is for the framework to be usable by design educators, urban planners, and community organisations beyond the original study sites.