University of North Texas 
Curiosity Lab
The Curiosity Lab is a new interdisciplinary innovation engine within the UNT College
of Visual Arts and Design that integrates human-centered design, experiential learning,
and advanced technologies to prepare students and faculty for emerging creative economies.
The mission of the Lab is to cultivate experimental mindsets, unleash human capacity,
and foster experiential learning, creative technologies and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
The Curiosity Lab prepares students and partners to navigate and shape a rapidly evolving
world and to cultivate a culture of exploration and purposeful experimentation where
visual arts, design, humanities, and technology converge to develop human-centered
solutions, creative inquiry and new knowledge.
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Opening Event
Visit the Curiosity Lab’s interactive installation opening Sept. 15, 2026, in the
CVAD Gallery, Art Building, Room 160.
Curiosity Lab Leaders
Cassini Nazir
Cassini Nazir is a designer of conversations, curricula and interfaces. He is an assistant
professor in the University of North Texas College of Visual Arts and Design, where
he teaches interaction design. He directs the Curiosity Lab, an interdisciplinary
innovation engine that blends human-centered design, experiential learning, and emerging
technologies to prepare students and faculty for the creative economies ahead.
His research explores how curiosity can be meaningfully infused into design processes.
Because curiosity is linguistically rooted in the notion of care, he examines how
designers can extend care to those for whom they create, and to what they choose to
create. In Spring 2020, he served as designer-in-residence for Southern Methodist
University’s Master of Arts in Design and Innovation program.
Before joining UNT, Nazir taught at the University of Texas at Dallas for 10 years,
where he directed two research labs. The Arts and Technology Usability Lab fostered
collaborative research with community partners. At ArtSciLab, he served as director
of design for transdisciplinary research projects addressing issues of societal urgency.
His academic projects include collaborations with art historians, astronauts, biochemists,
brain scientists, futurists and new media artists, as well as industry partners such
as Toyota, Sam’s Club, Intuit, Sabre and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.
James Thurman
James Thurman is a professor of Studio Art: Metalsmithing and Jewelry. He received his M.F.A. in metalsmithing from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and his B.F.A. in sculpture from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. A three-time Fulbright Specialist scholar, he worked with Kadir Has University in Istanbul, Türkiye, in 2012; the Glass Furnace Foundation in Istanbul in 2016; and Birmingham City University School of Jewellery in Birmingham, England, in 2024.
A prolific and highly active studio artist for more than 25 years, Thurman has presented his work in hundreds of national and international curated and juried exhibitions, as well as numerous solo exhibitions. He also regularly lectures and leads workshops about his work and the distinctive technical aspects of his studio practice, including “Thurmanite,” a laminated composite material he developed and trademarked.
Digital fabrication continues to evolve as a major focus of Thurman’s research and teaching since he earned his machinist certification in 1995. In addition to using digital fabrication in his studio practice, he has incorporated it into his teaching for more than 15 years, including through a distinctive online studio-based course offered since 2012.
The primary goal of Thurman’s research and artwork is to foster creative problem-solving in people’s daily lives, with an emphasis on environmental awareness and improvement. He currently serves as president of the Denton Maker Center in Denton, Texas, which he co-founded.
Brian Sullivan
Brian Sullivan is a visiting assistant professor of design. With over 30 years of experience, he is a recognized expert in user research, design strategy, web accessibility, and service design. He has worked closely with large global brands to reimagine their products, services, and experiences. Brian is an industry speaker with talks at HCII, SxSW, CPSI, Big Design, and UXPA.
Sullivan has worked in different industries, including travel, healthcare, insurance, and financial services, including American Airlines, Pixar, AMEX, Four Seasons, Disney, Virgin Australia, Toyota, and Intuit. He built and managed four usability labs, a design studio, and the executive suite at a major travel software company.
As a well-known community leader, he founded the Big Design Conference in 2006, which brings together experts to discuss innovation, emerging technology, and design. Sullivan also founded a design meetup with over 5,000 members who meet monthly for talks, panels and workshops — he believes leaders should build future leaders.
He enjoys mentoring students on professional readiness and overseeing high-fidelity capstone projects. Recently, he has been working on launching the Curiosity Lab at UNT. He is working on the second edition of his book, "The Design Studio Method."