Agreed - I brought it up though because many times designers are the ones pushing for those architectural decisions. We had a lot of examples where the modularity of the architecture (for example a computer which could be split apart to pair with different power sources, different displays, and different silicon platforms) was driven from the ID side because it became a unique user proposition by deconstructing the hardware - vs just a cost saving and engineering measure upfront.
I always wondered how the Black and Decker Matrix tools sell compared to normal tools. Not sure if the modularity is a plus, or if the needs of each tool are too different that people want specific tools for each.
http://www.blackanddecker.com/products/product-stories/matrix