Welcome to Media Matters, a Fublis series that brings you insightful conversations with media professionals, from journalists and editors to writers and creators, offering a closer look at the ever-evolving landscape of media. In this edition, we are pleased to feature Mahnoor Fatima, a multi-talented journalist, designer, and founder of Astana, a design magazine that shines a light on South Asian architecture and design.
In this interview, Mahnoor shares her journey from studying architecture in Lahore to establishing Astana as a platform that challenges traditional narratives in design. She reflects on how her background in both design and journalism has shaped her approach to storytelling and cultural exploration. Mahnoor’s perspectives offer a fresh take on design journalism, particularly how the intersection of fiction and factual reporting can address broader social and cultural issues.
Discover her thoughts on the challenges of running a niche magazine, the evolving role of design journalism, and her vision for Astana’s future in a dynamic media landscape.
Can you share how your educational journey in Lahore shaped your career in design and journalism?
Mahnoor Fatima: Lahore is a very special city. While it is messy and loud, and sometimes frustrating, exploring the city as an architecture student intensified the way I felt about design. The black corner triangle next to the red brick Alhamra, the dramatic theaters bordering oily automotive workshops, the hollow Anglo-Saracenic facades witness to so much history – there is something to behold physically at every turn. As a storyteller, it was this rich realization of ideas that encouraged me to develop narratives around the environment, and that is how I found myself writing about architecture.
How did your early work as an architecture critic for papers in Pakistan contribute to your development as a writer and designer?
Mahnoor Fatima: Calling myself an architecture critic might be a bit of a stretch, but I did very quickly learn that it is a subject that needs a lot more comprehension than is publicly available. I found myself speaking to architects I might not have otherwise had the chance to, getting a first-hand account of their design patterns and methodologies. This creative exposure meant I was continuously reworking my own routines, improving my writing, and also incorporating more thoughtfulness into the way I practiced design. I stay in touch with most architects I speak with, and send them a text now and then. It is always a very educational experience.
What led you to establish Astana, and how does your South Asian heritage influence the magazine’s vision and content?
Mahnoor Fatima: I initially wanted Pakistan to officially recognize architectural criticism. Papers like The Guardian, etc. have always had a critic who acts as a sort of liaison between the architects and the people, contributing to general discourse with their educated essays. I realized we needed to build a platform where we could encourage conversation in ways beyond reading a newspaper, especially as most get their information from social media rather than a traditional news channel. Astana was the answer – a multimedia magazine where we ask people to come to us with their opinions on design. South Asia does not get as much rep as many other regions of the world do, and with Astana we aim to reorient narratives that have historically been dominated by Western movements. That is how we envision Astana going forward: a platform that turns around the ideological current.
What have been the most significant challenges and rewards of running a design magazine with a unique South Asian perspective?
Mahnoor Fatima: The most significant challenge has been finding writers who can articulate avant-garde perspectives on the built environment. There are repetitive, nostalgic elements that most cling to, forgetting that their education should mean they learn to move forward and adopt more creative solutions. That being said, it is also gratifying when we sit with writers and see them develop their initial pitches into meaningful pieces of discourse, teaching us about nuances they focus on and observe. It is very inspiring to meet such a varied crowd, each with a distinct philosophy on design.
How does your design background influence your approach to writing and editorial work at Astana?
Mahnoor Fatima: Astana’s creative lean requires for the team behind it to be trained professionally in design. Not only does it help craft a better visual narrative, but this innovative, hands on thinking seeps through our editorial to create a cohesive piece of art. This publication was never meant to be just a magazine; it is intended to be a conversation contributing to the global design discourse. We take our journalism a step ahead with Astana’s mascot, our resident critic Snarkali, who speaks to the pieces and offers her point of view. None of this would have been possible without the background the team has.
You’ve been published for your fiction work. How does writing fiction differ from your work in design journalism, and do the two ever intersect?
Mahnoor Fatima: Fiction allows me to be more experimental than regular journalism. I like integrating those little elements into articles for newspapers, because I believe writing should always be as interactive, engaging, and exploratory as possible. Storytelling in journalism is what turns people into readers, the more personal and emotional, the better, and learning to write fiction makes ones more serious pieces all the more effective.
How do you see storytelling through fiction or journalism as a tool for exploring cultural and social issues?
Mahnoor Fatima: Cultural and social issues stem from human stories. When these are laid out in formats digestible to a larger audience, there is hope that more people develop empathetic problem solving techniques as opposed to exacerbating the issue at hand. This storytelling also helps individuals feel recognized and valued, which is important for positive societal development. Fiction and journalism have always been a part of the fabric of our communities. Myths, legends, fables, all carry within them very strong messages passed down generations, the wisdom within them extricated from actual events that took place all those years ago. With the current trend of media consumption, storytelling turns into an important tool to navigate a world where our complex audience ranges from small children to the elderly.
What are your future goals for Astana, and how do you see the magazine evolving in the coming years?
Mahnoor Fatima: With Astana, I aim to develop a larger conversation around design in South Asia. This involves interacting with people and having them engage in critical discourse. We started out with a magazine, and now we’re looking to expand and begin podcasts, create gamified versions of our magazines, and discover more multimedia approaches to journalism.
How do you envision the role of design journalism evolving in the context of global and South Asian cultural shifts?
Mahnoor Fatima: I’ve noticed a lot of indie magazines and newspapers tackle subjects that mainstream media has so far not dived into, and it is through these pieces that this global shift has begun to take place. With more mindful designers now making space for themselves in the global discourse, I believe we’ll see more regional voices in the design community, especially as smaller publications highlight multiple artists and architects who do not otherwise have a media presence. These indie organizations could also potentially find themselves mingling with academia, thereby incorporating even more relevant topics of discussion into the curriculum, helping students develop a deeper understanding of their creative origins.
