The work aims to take the pre-Qin characters as the research object to explore the profound cultural connotation carried by the logo design inspired by these characters, and realize the design of Chinese characteristics with the visual elements representing Chinese culture. Combined with literature data analysis, the symbol features, functions and aesthetics of pre-Qin characters were analyzed from the perspective of semiotics. According to the pre-Qin character logo design examples, the design philosophy and design thinking were analyzed and the cultural context of logo design and the cultural connotation of logo design based on the cultural gene of pre-Qin characters were elaborated. It was proved that the pre-Qin characters of China carried a strong gene of visual design, and their creative ideas of "looking at objects and taking images", "applying shapes to objects" and "representing meanings with shapes" had important reference value for contemporary logo design.The pre-Qin character belongs to the visual art in the semiotic sense, which embodies the aesthetic gene of Chinese traditional culture. Chinese design needs to be returned to the ontology in the context of Chinese cultural background. In the present design globalization, the cultural connotation of logo design based on the pre-Qin characters is explored, which provides certain theoretical basis for inheriting and carrying forward Chinese excellent traditional culture and realizing innovative design with Chinese characteristics.