The purpose of Light + Design is to introduce lighting professionals to the principles of quality lighting design. These principles, related to visual performance, energy and economics, and aesthetics, can aid designers in providing high-quality lighting for a wide range of interior and exterior lighting projects.

The text is divided into four parts:

1. Light + Human Needs describes the principles and technical background involved in designing lighting that satisfies vision and visual comfort needs,

2. Light + Economics & Environment deals with economic and environmental factors related to quality design,

3. Light + Architecture addresses lighting the built environment, and

4. Light + Application presents an updated and excerpted portion of the IESNA Design Guide, introduced in the IESNA Lighting Handbook, 9th Ed.

Supplementing the Design Guide are questions that provide a checklist of critical issues to lighting projects and an applications guide. Numerous sketches and photographs, glossary, and end notes that reference other technical papers and IES publications are included.