"Design education is mostly about combining old content elements and creating new ones. It focuses on the relationships between forms - and rarely addresses such a critical part of design as background spaces and shapes. This reflects a belief that what is present is more important than what is absent. But emptiness, when treated as a full-fledged partner in design, becomes dynamic. It is this, along with the original visual idea, that defines great design," the author notes in the foreword to the third edition.

This comprehensive view opens up a limitless field for experimentation, and to prevent the designer from getting lost in them, the author outlines a very clear guideline - "communication":

"Unlike mathematics, where there can be only one 'correct' answer, design offers many alternative solutions. And the designer has to find the best among them. Design should not be seen as an opportunity to show off your own visual experiments. However, those searches that facilitate communication are always welcome."

The author's original thoughts and approaches are illustrated by a selection of examples from different eras and styles.