Designers need to consider the whole product cycle of potential products, services and systems throughout the design cycle and beyond. Products may have an impact not only on the direct consumer but also on society at large and the environment.

• Key stages of the product life cycle: launch, growth, maturity, decline

• Obsolescence: planned, style (fashion), functional, technological

• Predictability of the product life cycle

• Product versioning/generations

• Examples of products at different stages of the product life cycle including those new to the market and classic designs

• Length of the product life cycle considering the effect of technical development and consumer trends

• Advantages and disadvantages for a company of introducing new versions and generations of a product

An understanding of the product life cycle allows the designer to design a product with obsolescence in mind. Doing this at the design stage can potentially eliminate the effect of a product on the environment when it is no longer in use.