# Inside Apple's iMac: Material Science, Circular Design & Smart Surfaces with John Skabardonis | S3E5

- Show: [Designing in the Wild](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild)
- Published: 2026-10-21
- Length: 1h 04m
- Episode: 5
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2026-10-21-inside-apples-imac-material-science-circular-design-smart-surfaces-with-john-ska

## Summary

John Skabardonis, founder of Optimist Consulting and former material scientist at Covestro, details the development of the translucent polycarbonate for Apple's original iMac, explaining how dyes and pigments were selected to achieve specific visual effects under UV light. He discusses the challenges of circular design, contrasting mechanical and chemical recycling, and highlights innovations like Acoustic AI for sorting black plastics. The conversation explores smart surfaces and Shy Tech, featuring examples from BMW and TactoTech's in-mold structural electronics, emphasizing the importance of early material selection in industrial design.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2026-10-21-inside-apples-imac-material-science-circular-design-smart-surfaces-with-john-ska#t=0) Introduction: John Skabardonis and the iMac Story
- [6:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2026-10-21-inside-apples-imac-material-science-circular-design-smart-surfaces-with-john-ska#t=391) From Marine Biology to Material Science
- [11:48](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2026-10-21-inside-apples-imac-material-science-circular-design-smart-surfaces-with-john-ska#t=708) Developing the iMac's Translucent Polycarbonate
- [23:50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2026-10-21-inside-apples-imac-material-science-circular-design-smart-surfaces-with-john-ska#t=1430) Circular Design: Mechanical vs. Chemical Recycling
- [35:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2026-10-21-inside-apples-imac-material-science-circular-design-smart-surfaces-with-john-ska#t=2124) Local Recycling and Acoustic AI Sorting
- [44:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2026-10-21-inside-apples-imac-material-science-circular-design-smart-surfaces-with-john-ska#t=2658) Right to Repair, Upgrade, and Disassembly
- [52:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2026-10-21-inside-apples-imac-material-science-circular-design-smart-surfaces-with-john-ska#t=3127) Smart Surfaces, Shy Tech, and In-Mold Electronics

## Topics

- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Sustainability & circular products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sustainability-and-circularity)
- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)

## Most relevant to

established companies

## Mentioned

- Apple (company)
- iMac (product)
- Steve Jobs (other)
- Jony Ive (other)
- Covestro (company)
- Bayer (company)
- Acoustic AI (company)
- BMW (company)
- TactoTech (company)
- Framework (company)
- IDSA (other)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2026-10-21-inside-apples-imac-material-science-circular-design-smart-surfaces-with-john-ska. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Designing in the Wild.