Digital Empowerment in Design: A Literature Review of Design Ecosystem Service Platforms

This paper systematically reviews advancements in digital empowerment theory and the design of ecosystem service platforms, with the aim of constructing an integrated theoretical framework to address the structural mismatch between design education and industry demands. It first observes that, despite the increasingly widespread application of digital technologies in design, existing platforms remain largely confined to enhancing tool efficiency or accumulating functions, lacking genuine ecological coordination mechanisms. Consequently, the promise of digital empowerment remains suspended between ideal and reality. The study traces the evolution of digital empowerment from "tools" to "enablers" and ultimately to "ecosystems," identifying five core dimensions: structural, resource, service, customer, and psychological empowerment. It further outlines four enabling pathways: technology, ecosystem, market, and talent. Additionally, the paper elucidates the definition, characteristics (user-centredness, integration, collaboration, iteration), constituent elements, and dominant models (university-led versus enterprise-led) of design ecosystem service platforms. It emphasises their role as value co-creation systems that connect the entire education-talent-industry chain. In terms of user experience, the research demonstrates that digital empowerment elevates platform engagement from "tool efficiency" to "value co-creation." It develops an evaluation framework based on participation theory, experiential scenarios, and flow theory, offering theoretical foundations and practical guidance for platform optimisation. Finally, the paper summarises its theoretical and practical contributions: theoretically, it proposes an integrated analytical framework that reveals the intrinsic mechanisms of digital empowerment; practically, it provides systematic strategies for platform construction, talent cultivation, and industry transformation, in alignment with national strategies for digital economy and innovation development. This work not only fills existing theoretical gaps but also charts a course for the future development of design ecosystem service platforms.