The visualization of design cognitive process can help to understand the cognitive style of designers and analyze the causes of design ideas quality. This study aims at understanding the cognitive styles from the perspective of the semantic distance between memory-retrieved precedents and design goal. A protocol study was conducted with 26 master students majoring in industrial design. After obtaining a set of design precedents based on the design goal, the semantic distance between design precedents and design goals was analyzed through semantic network. To describe relevance of the semantic distance to cognitive processes, this study devised a new way called ‘semantic circle diagram.’ It supports intuitive interpretations of design cognitive process and output results, while visualizing the elements of different design stages. Based on semantic circle diagram, the cognitive styles of each participant were derived, and the design ideas quality generated by different cognitive styles was discussed. The results of this study provide an individualized reference for design cognitive research and design thinking education.