Objectives  Based on kansei engineering theory, a yacht modeling design method based on brand image is proposed to improve the yacht company's brand recognition and competitiveness.

  Methods   Firstly, representative samples and brand image vocabularies of yacht products are determined using the Delphi method and questionnaire investigation, and the mapping relationship between the product modeling space and the brand image space are built using the semantic differential method to get a representative sample of brand image evaluation data. Secondly, data analysis of the brand image evaluation results is conducted using SPSS statistical analysis to extract four words; "modern", "innovative", "safe" and "luxury" as the vocabulary mainly influencing yacht design brand image. Finally, the feasibility of these methods are verified through case practice.

  Results   Through qualitative and quantitative analysis, the subjective feelings of users towards the brand image and the objective form of product modeling samples are obtained, so as to determine the product modeling space and brand image space, and explore potential opportunities in yacht modeling design.

  Conclusions   Research into yacht brand image is helpful for designing, developing and optimizing yacht modeling and has guiding value for yacht companies to form a complete and unified brand image.