A visual representation involves delivering messages through visually communicated images. The study assumed that semantic recognition can affect visual interpretation ability, and the result showed that students graduating from a general high school achieve satisfactory results in semantic recognition and image interpretation tasks than students graduating from a vocational high school. Twenty students with low semantic recognition performance participated in our study and completed 24 hours of an intensive Chinese semantics-training course after the design foundation course. The results revealed that the Chinese intensive training improved their semantic recognition in design performance, thereby is confirming the assumption. Our study results suggest that design teachers must not only provide strong practical design training, but also develop skills such as semantic comprehension and object interpretation in young designers.