For one thing, it helps fight against habituation. And that's no small feat.
Habituation is the idea that the more we experience something, the more we get used to its quirks and inconveniences, and the less we question it. One example of this: having stickers on fruits that we must peel off before eating. In many ways habituation is the opposite of disruption and a barricade to brainstorming new, innovative ideas. "It stops us from noticing and fixing the products around us," Tony Fadell, the product designer of the iPod and creator of Nest, said during his TED talk today on creative ignition.