Physical space of ‘propagate reading’

In order to create a nice reading environment through which to propagate reading, every branch of Eslite bookstores is designed by architects and professional interior teams. CHEN Rui-Xian, who designs most of the Eslite bookstores including the award-winning Far Eastern store, has talked about his design ideas in some mass media.

Instead of encouraging purchases, Mr Chen claims the layout of Eslite bookstores is

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intended to make consumers enjoy peaceful time and to read (Ding, 2004). To achieve these goals, Mr Chen emphasises “user contentment” as the main concept which drives his design on Eslite bookstores (Yang, 2005a: 21). ‘User contentment’ is related to how to make users feel at ease in the space. As bookstores are full of bookcases, I will give examples particularly of bookcases to demonstrate ‘user contentment’. The ergonomic design of bookcases and their location is important; the design and the arrangement can lead to more comfortable and more enjoyable environments. In Eslite bookstores, there are different sizes and styles of bookcases located in different book areas, with specific functions. Generally speaking, taller bookcases are against walls while shorter bookcases are distributed in the centre of the bookstore (see picture 4.8).

This means that the line of vision remains uninterrupted. Visitors can look around freely, finding the area they wish to visit easily. The arrangement of bookcases enhances the visual range/distance of visitors.

Photo 4.8 Bookcases in Eslite Xin-Yi store (Source: Eslite)

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Moreover, the use of short bookcases and the location of tall bookcases against the wall makes bookstores appear more spacious compared with some small bookstores, with towering bookcases and stacks upon stacks of books on the bookcases. The arrangement of bookcases in Eslite bookstores is flexible in that bookstores do not come in one fixed shape or size along the whole wall/area. For instance, when there are windows, which allow the sun in with skylights (see photo 4.9, the girl standing in front of a window and the bookcase in front of her is therefore lower), care is taken to ensure that bookcases do not appear in front of the windows. Natural light is able to come into the bookstores for better illumination and to enhance visitors’ moods.

Bookcases have to be arranged to fit in with the distinctive condition of each bookstore.

Photo 4.9 Let in the natural lights between bookcases (Source: CHI Yuan)

The colours of the bookcases are also considered to have an impact on the moods of consumers, and they vary according to the categories of reading materials which they

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house. For example, the magazines bookcases are white while those of literature are dark brown.

Photo 4.10 Bookcases of magazines are in white colour (Source: CHI Yuan)

The choices of colours are not random in such cases; rather, “the colours are carefully picked by the interior designers to create specific feelings such as the feeling of vivacity”, said the deputy manager of Eslite Xin-Yi store, Chang Jing-Ru (Chang, Interview, August, 2006). Some effects of colours are universal despite the fact that the perception of colours is subjective and may be subjected to different cultures. Brighter colours are often described as energetic and darker colours are known as immutable.

Thus the bookcases for magazines are white as magazines are considered less serious than literary books. The use of colours works as a way to link the reading materials to particular images.

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Photo 4.11 Stylish and functional armchair and light (Source: CHEN Pingu)

In addition to bookcases, furniture such as seats and lights are placed throughout the stores to help users to feel relaxed and comfortable. Mr Chen claimed he went abroad a number of times to search out “stylish and functional” seats and lights; “good designed furniture is important […] to shorten the distance between people and books and to encourage visitors to spend some time on browsing or reading books.” (Xu, 2005a) For Mr Chen, good furniture encourages people to stay and to read. This friendly and convenient environment for reading seems to function in the way Eslite intends as a considerable number of people like to spend their leisure time in Eslite stores (Xiao, 2002, Yang, 2005a, Yu and Yang, 2005).

Apart from the spatial concepts from the architects, human factors and ergonomics are also given care and attention in terms of producing spaces to propagate reading. The furniture, hardware, facilities, devices and physical surfaces are carefully identified so

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as to fit consumers’ bodies and cognitive abilities. Deputy Manager of Eslite Xin-Yi store, Ms Chang, gave some details as examples to explain how much the physical space matters to Eslite; she said “the height of the tallest bookcases in Eslite bookstores is 240 centimetres, but bookcases for kids are different” (Chang, Interview, August, 2006).

What Ms Chang said shows the consideration which goes into human factors and ergonomics in the store designs. The bookcases have to fit the average measurements of users’ bodies, including children if to be used in children’s bookstores. Books are thus reachable for most adults and children. What is even better is that the majority of the lower bookcases in Eslite bookstores are designed with angled back (see photo 4.12). The eyesight of visitors falls much more easily on information located at fifteen degrees, and enables visitors to read book covers and associated literature more easily (Chen, Interview, August, 2006).

Photo 4.12 Angled bookcases in Eslite bookstores (Source: CHI Yuan)

Apart from the larger scale of spatial/interior design, Eslite employs many techniques to display books in order to catch consumers’ eyes. Eslite is aware of how visitors may

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be attracted by books with the covers facing out. In general, books can be displayed either with the cover of the book displayed fully (called a face-out) so it is in full view or with only the spine of the book showing where the viewer can see the title and author but not the cover (called spine-out). The face-out display occupies more shelf-space than a spine-out one. But a bookstore with a high percentage of face-outs can create the image of being a speciality book boutique and therefore an expensive place to shop, while bookstores with virtually all spine-outs are often perceived as cramming in a huge selection of titles sold at low prices. Thus, “it is very crucial to find out the right percentage of face-out and spine-out and to do that, you need to pay attention to many factors such as what is the hot topic of current market and what books readers may be interested in,” said the deputy manager of Xin-Yi store (Chang, Interview, August, 2006). Apart from the technique of face-out/spine-out, books in Eslite bookstores tend to be displayed by specific scenarios or themes. For example, many books in Eslite bookstores are, like other bookstores, simply placed on bookcases in order of subjects. However, Eslite also introduces books to its visitors via diverse routes in which books are specially arranged and presented with some visual works.

Eslite has tried various unusual and novel ways of placing books on display tables. For example, instead of neatly standing book up on the display tables, the books in picture 4.13 are placed in a spiral shape with an assemblage of books lying one upon the other in the centre of the spiral shape. This may not be everyone’s cup of tea but is something fresh which will tend to draw attention.

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Photo 4.13 Special book display (Source: Eslite)

Table-toppers are great tools to attract consumers’ eyesight, too. One of the frequently used types of table-topper in Eslite bookstores is a wooden unit as shown in picture 4.14. These table-toppers are independent units; they can be placed on any flat table.

Table-toppers are normally used to create height and let some books ‘face-out’. In such a way, the visitors can see the covers of books easily even if from a distance.

Photo 4.14 Table-topper (Source: Eslite)

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Ms Yeh explained the importance of display when she was asked about visual works in the stores:

… we put a lot of emphasis on the visual works… Even the same corner of a bookstore - the style would look completely different if you display your commodities in different visual designs. It’s like the sceneries of bookstores. We want to create various sceneries for readers, and encourage readers to appreciate the books … the design […] has to be a concept to create a scene in the store … with different kinds of materials, readers’ senses can be stimulated and that helps them to create imaginations from reading and for reading.” (Yeh, Interview, August, 2006)

The word ‘scenery’ used by Yeh shows clearly the link between display works and consumers’ experience. The scenery is a composite of corporeal matters and different ways of displaying products. For example, in photo 4.15 (on the next page) a sign and a black box are located on a display table. On the black box, the colours of words (white and yellow) are high-contrast or saturated; the sign board is arched, which makes it distinct from the black, upright, and four-square box. Compare to other display tables, a table with extra visual work is more likely to stand out although it is not necessarily more aesthetically pleasing to every single consumer.

Photo 4.15 (left) Books on a display table with a sign (Source: TSAI En)

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Photo 4.16 (right) ‘Books of the week’ on a display table (Source: TSAI En)

In photo 4.16 Books of the Week are shown on a display table with a taller signpost.

The signpost is the only signpost in the area, and it is much higher than the table surface. This is a way to draw consumers’ attention and lets consumers see it from far away. Although books in the two photographs are displayed on similar tables, the ways of piling up books are slightly different. In photo 4.16 the books are not as neat as those in photo 4.15. Both the visual works and the way of piling up books create unique scenery and reflect Yeh’s comments (even the same corner in a bookstore the style would look completely different if you display your commodities in different visual designs). The display gives consumers different visual stimulations and therefore they may, according to the information from the visual work, walk towards the table to see the books or walk away to skip something in which they are not interested. Consumer experiences are thus influenced. The above techniques and the spatial interior design are the main means that Eslite utilises to satisfy consumers and to inspire them to read.

Through the techniques and design, Eslite aims to encourage consumers to visit the comfortable and friendly environments of Eslite bookstores and enjoy reading books from a wide range of subjects.