Abstract
Amid the rising international recognition of design as a driver of innovation, this study addresses a gap in the design policy literature regarding the under representation of non- Western perspectives by adapting and contextual ising European-derived ecosystem frameworks to Taiwan’s unique policy environment. This paper presents a comprehensive case study of Taiwan’s design ecosystem, using a policy-oriented mapping approach to support agenda-setting and the formation of a national design policy. Drawing on a mixed-methods participatory design research process (2020–2024), the study conducts a stakeholder analysis, performs a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) assessment, and offer strategic policy recommendations. The findings reveal a well-institutionalised ecosystem with strong organizational capacity, yet constrained by limited public engagement, a lack of formal evaluation mechanisms, and persistent challenges, such as education–employment mismatches and the under valuation of design contributions. Therefore, this study proposes strategic policy interventions to facilitate and strengthen the design ecosystem. This study contributes to the design policy literature by providing empirical insights and methodological guidance for applying ecosystem mapping in the policy making process, particularly within East Asian and other non-Western contexts.
Keywords
Design ecosystem; Design policy; Taiwan
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.433
Citation
Kuo, T.,and Huang, L.(2025) Mapping Taiwan's Design Ecosystem: A Policy-Oriented Approach, in Chang, C.-Y., and Hsu, Y. (eds.), IASDR 2025: Design Next, 02-05 December, Taiwan. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.433
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Track 7 - Service Design for Public Services and Policies
Mapping Taiwan's Design Ecosystem: A Policy-Oriented Approach
Amid the rising international recognition of design as a driver of innovation, this study addresses a gap in the design policy literature regarding the under representation of non- Western perspectives by adapting and contextual ising European-derived ecosystem frameworks to Taiwan’s unique policy environment. This paper presents a comprehensive case study of Taiwan’s design ecosystem, using a policy-oriented mapping approach to support agenda-setting and the formation of a national design policy. Drawing on a mixed-methods participatory design research process (2020–2024), the study conducts a stakeholder analysis, performs a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) assessment, and offer strategic policy recommendations. The findings reveal a well-institutionalised ecosystem with strong organizational capacity, yet constrained by limited public engagement, a lack of formal evaluation mechanisms, and persistent challenges, such as education–employment mismatches and the under valuation of design contributions. Therefore, this study proposes strategic policy interventions to facilitate and strengthen the design ecosystem. This study contributes to the design policy literature by providing empirical insights and methodological guidance for applying ecosystem mapping in the policy making process, particularly within East Asian and other non-Western contexts.