Can the product have multiple uses beyond what was intended? If so, people will dang sure use it in those ways… so it must perform whether the original intent included such use - or not. Up-front holistic consideration can discover many of these potential uses, and if such fortuitous uses occur, which present safety hazards, then you can either design for, or provide warning against, such uses to prevent potential liability.

Is the product designed as a throwaway or does the market demand (or even regulate) reuse or recycling? What about the incorporation of hazardous substances, which may limit product use in certain markets or locations?

Following are a few examples of how product utilization may interact with other product mentors to affect your product's definition:

• Portable and transportable uses, harsh environments, weight - this may affect the Product Market if the product is not able to operate where the user wants to use it.
  
  
• Need for easy upgrade or expansion - this may affect the Business Model if the ease of doing so is compromised because of design or support structures that require cumbersome service action.
  
  
• The product as a 'piece if furniture' - this may disrupt the designer's Spirituality (passion for product design) if the product looks like a piece of furniture but is not robust enough when actually used as furniture.
  
  
• Storage adaptability - this may affect the Product Market if it is not in use all the time but is not designed to be easily stored: e.g., batteries corrode, moving parts collect dust, shelf life is inadequate.
  
  
• Cultural / religious uses - may affect Spirituality (a presumptive vision for design) if the product is insensitive to these issues
  
  
• User support - can certainly affect the Infrastructure and the Business Model if the demanded support and warranty, or expected product lifetime is not as users expect.
  
  
• Unanticipated advocates for the product - Good news? Perhaps. But, this may affect the Business Model if new channels and resources are needed to serve a surprise market. For example, development, facilities, hiring and learning costs to support an expanded market may adversely disrupt valuable cash flow for current operations and support.