隨著近年東南亞以及大陸地區低廉工資條件崛起造成台灣公中小企業的衝擊，經過生產製造外移，留在台灣本土的企業開始走向精緻化、差異化與技術密集發展，而政府也開始推行品牌，開始有相關中小企業輔導方案，過去台灣從OEM走向ODM，到近年被大力提倡的OBM，企業開始轉型，而相關品牌顧問服務也應運而生。品牌從過去的概念是作為與競爭產品區隔的一種方式，現在轉變為考量到企業整體與消費者產生的多向度溝通，而在品牌化的路程中，設計的應用主要為人熟知的是企業視覺系統的設計，然而現今的設計領域已朝向系統性的設計發展，例如服務設計、體驗設計或設計思考的應用等，本研究認為設計在商業操作上對品牌經營能發揮的效用更勝以往，因此以「設計為基礎的品牌顧問公司」為研究對象，探討設計在品牌顧問經營中的議題。首先利用文獻探討與次級資料蒐集確定訪談對象並整理相關理論以建立研究基礎，並了解品牌顧問公司的服務模式；第二，以開放式深度訪談了解顧問公司運用設計的方式、服務客戶的過程中遇到的議題，以及台灣產業所面臨的現況；最後，將訪談資料整理成逐字稿編碼分析。
研究結果發現設計常以視覺的方式呈現出品牌的價值，但由於設計發揮效用之處往往在於視覺設計背後的策略工作，而非視覺上抽象的呈現而已，因此設計服務的價值常常被忽視，故本研究指出「設計與策略的相互依賴性」的重要；在品牌顧問服務脈絡下「設計為基礎的顧問關係對品牌經營的缺口模型」，並探發生此一現象下的背景因素以及顧問公司對設計管理的方式，認為顧問公司應該要差異化其服務以凸顯自身的優勢並達到兩個目標:(1) 強化設計服務的深度(2)建立長期客戶關係，並依此二目標提出建議。

It has progressively been a compact from the low labor cost of south Asia and
mainland China to SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises). The industries remain in
Taiwan started with more refined, differentiated technology-intensive strategy. The
government is also a great force to help facilitating branding with SMEs branding program.
In the past time, Taiwan industries intend to transform form OEM, ODM to the highly
promoted OBM. It is an opportunity of brand consultancies. Branding has changed as a
concept of segmentation of product competitive to a multi-dimensional communication to
consumers which takes consider of the whole enterprise operation. In the route of branding,
design as an important tool of visual identity system now turns into a systematic design
consideration. For instance, service design, experience design and design thinking are the
fields of the applications.
This study claims that design has a surpassed affection in business operation and
branding. Therefore, this study target on the design operating of “Branding consultancies
based on design” as the main issues. The study method is, firstly, second hand data
collection. This process is to sufficient the knowledge of the consultancies service, the
suitable interviewees and the interview contents. Second, taking use of open ended
interview to explore the issues while consultancies using design to serve for their
businesses clients and the phenomenon occur in the industries. Finally, it analysis the
interview subscriptions with coding technics.
The final result shows that the brand value is seemingly presented in visual
appearance. But actually, the strategic works behind the visual appearance is where the
effect of branding design takes place, which is always being regarded as only a kind of an
abstract application. Therefore, the real value of design is always ignored and does not
receive an equal payment.
In this case, this study indicates the importance of “interdependence of design
offerings and design strategy”; In the context of the branding design consultancies, this
study reveals the background phenomenon and the management of design in these
branding consultancies, which is called “Model of branding service gap in design based
consultancies”. The design consultancies should differentiate their service in order to
emphasis on the advantages. There are two main goals – (1) To deepen service of design
(2) To build up a long-term client relationship. Several suggestions are given in the frame
of these two goals.

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