Do you consider yourself to be highly creative?

And if so, how much of your creativity is due to curiosity?

That’s a topic which Dr. Cassini Nazir likes to explore on a regular basis.

Cassini, as he prefers to be called, has an extensive background in design. As a full-time assistant professor at the University of North Texas, he teaches interaction design and user experience courses in the College of Visual Arts and Design. Previously, he has served as Southern Texas University’s Designer in Residence, for their Master of Arts in Design and Innovation.

He was also Founding Director of University of Texas’ new ATEC Usability Lab. As well as Director of Research and Design at Dallas-based ArtSciLab.

And he invites everyone–not just his students–to become more curious. In his life as a creative innovator, he continues to research the role curiosity plays, in interactive design.

In the process, he’s having a lot of fun–and so are his students and general audience members.

Cassini talked about his background, offered some of the ways creatives can use curiosity as a tool to spark new ideas, and even shared two of his favorite games which he and his students use, to generate new ideas.

On this edition of Over Coffee® we cover:

• How Cassini first became interested in curiosity;

• Considerations for design, to keep users engaged–whether you’re designing an experience, a class or otherwise!;

• A technique which Cassini uses in his own life, to stay curious;

• One question to ask yourself and others, to spark curiosity;

• How to look beyond the surface, with information, to find new ideas;

• Two aspects of curiosity that aren’t always readily apparent;

• Ways to invite curiosity when designing an event or experience;

• How to get around frustration to keep curiosity going;

• Some other methods of cultivating curiosity;

• And, two games that can keep it going!