Meet the team

No one else has us. Our team makes us unique; our experiences, perspectives, and passion for what we do.

BRENT LONG, RGD

Director, Client Happiness

Brent is the studio owner and relationship builder, he is the heart and soul and face—and mouth—of Fusion. Brent leads our talented team with a strategic and creative mindset. He’s passionate about design and collaborating with people. He’s been in the industry for over 30 years (yikes, he’s that old?) and actively nurtures new graphic designers. He recently finished his six year tenure on the RGD board as Chair of Membership. Brent also sits on the advisory committee for Georgian college’s Graphic Design program. He has been a speaker and panelist at many RGD events, and frequently volunteers for RGD student portfolio reviews.

FUN FACT // There’s not much you don’t know about Brent after talking to him once. Maybe twice, max.

SARAH PROUSE, BDES, RGD

VP, Creative Possibilities

Sarah P. is Fusion’s creative director, supporting the team with strategy, creative and process management to ensure that we consistently deliver incredible work to our clients. Sarah has been with Fusion since 2005 and no one knows Fusion better than her (besides Brent, maybe). She has been around for most of Fusion’s major evolutions and successes, and she has rapport with almost anyone that has ever been a client. She doesn’t just manage the team though, she uses her incredible talents as a graphic designer, illustrator, and photographer on a daily basis to develop concepts and execute on many visual identities, campaigns, and large reports.

FUN FACT // Sarah loves all things nerdy. She even once went to a comic book convention in cosplay she designed and made herself.

SARAH FALZON, BA

Administrative Know-it-all

Sarah F. is our admin. She has the very important task of handling all of the not-so-creative things that are invaluable to keeping a creative studio like ours alive for almost 30 years. Sarah is in charge of keeping the cash flow flowing, paperwork in check, and is our conduit to the accountants, banks and the government. You may only ever hear from Sarah F. when you’re receiving an invoice, but believe us when we tell you, she is the glue that holds everything together.

FUN FACT // In quiet moments, you might find Sarah going on Google street maps and pretending she’s casually strolling through Rome or Paris.

NATASHA RUTLEDGE, BDES, RGD

Deputy, Shapes & Things

Natasha is our senior designer, and is an integral part of our creative team. She’s multi-talented, working on many identity designs (and their guidelines), as well as beautiful editorial pieces. She can easily switch gears to work on the UI/UX of digital pieces, like websites and HTML emails.

FUN FACT // Natasha is an avid reader—watch for her book recommendations on our blog!

MELISSA AUSTRIA, PROVISIONAL RGD

Executive Officer, Likes & Shares

Melissa is our intermediate designer, who is always on top of the trends. She contributes fresh perspectives and develops strategic communications for our clients. Bringing her talents to hand lettering and typographic compositions, which helps take our creativity to the next level. She helps to produce motion graphics, conceptual layouts, and social media strategy and design.

FUN FACT // Melissa loves anything Disney, AND BTS. Also Harry Styles.

ELMIRA ALIF, BSc, AFFILIATE RGD

Producer, Web Stuff

Elmira is our front-end developer, making our websites and digital work come to life. She’s always at the forefront of new technology, and works in collaboration with the team from the very start, to ensure our vision become a reality. She can custom code websites, build content managed websites (like WordPress) and can maintain websites as needed.

FUN FACT // Elmira’s cat is named after Barney in How I Met Your Mother.

Lia Smith, PROVISIONAL RGD

Newbie, Title Pending

Lia is our newest team member. As a recent NSCAD graduate and Provisional RGD member, she's bringing a fresh perspective and creative prowess to our team. With a degree in interdisciplinary design (all things design), she seamlessly combines artistic flair with strategic thinking, transforming concepts into captivating visual narratives.

FUN FACT // Melissa loves anything Disney, AND BTS. Also Harry Styles.

A mark of excellence

Personal and professional growth is very important, it’s crucial to staying relevant and aware of best practices and industry trends.

Our job as a solutions provider means having a culture focused on understanding our clients, their challenges and their audience. That takes a special designer. RGDs are just that.

Our team is heavily involved in the RGD. Brent has been on the Board, and continues to serve on the Membership committee. Our team frequently participates in webinars, portfolio interviews, and mentorship programs. The annual DesignThinkers conference is our favourite professional development event every year. We haven’t missed it in over a decade.