Composites Weekly

Author: Jonathan Taylor

The Leading News and Information Podcast for the Composites & Advanced Materials Industry
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Genres: Business, Business News, News

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Using Color Science and Digital Appearance Simulation to Improve Material Performance
Friday, 9 January, 2026

On this episode, Dr. Michael Murdoch joins the podcast to discuss how visual cues can act as diagnostics for material performance, and how engineers can preview color, gloss, translucency, surface texture, and material mixtures long before a physical prototype exists. He is the head of the Integrated Sciences Academy at the Munsell Color Science Lab at Rochester Institute of Technology. His work focuses on how material appearance—things like color, gloss, translucency, and surface texture—can be digitally simulated, measured, and used as meaningful data long before a physical part ever exists. With an early career as a chemical engineer at Eastman Kodak, working hands-on with thermoplastics and injection-molded components, Dr. Murdoch brings a rare blend of manufacturing experience and advanced research insight. The Munsell Color Science Laboratory and the Program of Color Science unite to form one of the world's foremost color science research and education organizations. Their mission is to provide world-class education, research, and outreach in all areas of color science. You can learn more at https://www.rit.edu/science/munsell-color-lab.