Designing "innovation" into Eslite group for Taipei City

Abstract

After holding 2011 Design at the Edges in Taipei, the global design thinking and styles have entered into Taiwan; design have improved the standards of industries, creative thinking, design capabilities, talents training and living environment, changed multiple levels in Taiwan society, and the design atmosphere in the cities thus enhanced both the people and the knowledge. Therefore to manage the city by design and to improve the people's quality are important factors how Taipei City won the bid to hold 2016 World Design Capital on November 19th, 2013. This study attempted to understand how Eslite Group contributes and influences the city through document analysis of relevant published documents, and realized that the development of Eslite Group may be divided into three stages. First stage is "chain bookstore brand competition period"; second stage, "publication platform development period"; and third stage, "ambience development period". Through the three stages, Eslite Group developed the initial business philosophy: culture, art, creativity and life. First off, it provides consumers with good shopping services and the comfortable spaces for free reading; next, it provides online digital platform and publish design publications, virtually improved the consumers' aesthetics quality; in recent years, it incorporates new stores with local aesthetics, both the indoor and outdoor spaces provide consumers with great ambience and experiences. Over the past 24 years, Eslite Group 's services have invisibly improved the people's quality and taste; a "bookstore" , although a commercial space, is also a carrier of culture and knowledge as well as an important symbol of the people's taste of life, which is able to influence the life styles and knowledge development. Eslite Group has successfully improved the people's taste and influenced the development and design value of the city. © 2014 Springer International Publishing.