Recent research into virtual environments has identified difficulties that users have in navigating and searching for objects within a QuickTime Virtual Reality (QTVR) environment. Through the use of Activity Theory, the location and size of QTVR hotspots were identified as causing a breakdown between what the user expected to happen and what actually happened. This subsequently caused a focus shift from within the environment, out to the interface tool in order to try and overcome this breakdown. These breakdowns were the result of the environment design process. Careful planning of the environment is needed to greatly reduce these breakdowns.