BBC children’s program Blue Peter—the longest-running kids’ program in the world at more than 50 years old—got a rare glimpse inside Apple’s Cupertino, Calif. headquarters. British-born Apple design chief Jonathan Ive, who watched the show as a child and is a fan, demonstrated how Apple’s milling machinery—normally used to create product prototypes—worked by making a giant Blue Peter badge for the show in its Feb. 16 episode.

Ive also explained how the folks at Apple would design a lunch box.

“If we’re thinking about a lunchbox, we’d be really careful about not having the word box already, to give you a bunch of ideas that could be quite narrow,” said Ive. “Because you think of a box as being square and like a cube. So we’re quite careful with the words that you use, because those can be narrow and can determine the path that you go down.”

Then Ive reviewed three videos submitted by Blue Peter viewers explaining how they would design a combination lunch box-pencil case-book bag—and the future designers were incredibly creative offering ideas such as a code to make sure “no one can steal your lunch” and a “mesh bottom to let the crumbs out.”

In the end, Ive was presented with Blue Peter’s highest honor—his very own gold Blue Peter badge. Only about 1,000 gold badges have been presented throughout the show’s history as Ive joins the ranks of special guests including David Beckham, JK Rowling and Queen Elizabeth II.

Samantha Lile

Samantha Lile is a 2002 Missouri State University graduate of journalism and mass media. She has served as a reporter and editor for various newspapers throughout her journalism career. She made the leap into writing full-time after working for a major financial institution since 2000.

Because of her banking background, Samantha is knowledgeable in finance reporting, but is also strong in commentaries, personal profiles, youth studies, horticulture, history and entertainment-related works.

Samantha lives in Ozark, Mo. with her husband of nine years, four dogs and two cats.

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