Looking back, what are 3 words you would use to describe your time with Fusion?

Natasha: Growth, Fun, Contentment 

Brent: A creative lifetime 

Elmira: Creative, Fun, and filled with great Friendships.

Sarah: Growth. Friendship. Leadership. 

Melissa: Evolution, Growth, Fast-moving

Lia: Supportive, Collaborative, Growth

What is one thing you’ve learned or experienced here with Fusion that has changed or shaped your perspective as a designer?

Natasha: You need to believe in the direction of your design, then you can sell it to the client and be proud of what you’re creating together. 

Brent: That a creative business is more than just creative. It’s a business first. And like any other business, it’s all about making people happy, clients, employees, vendors, everyone.

Elmira: Collaboration is key to achieving the best results, as great outcomes come from sharing ideas, being open to feedback, and refining solutions together.

Sarah: The importance of collaborating and setting aside personal attachment. We’re in the business of problem solving—more brains and eyeballs are better. We’re not creating art, we’re making creative that has to work for an audience. This is done best when the interest of the end-user is put at the centre of it all.

Melissa: Keep pushing. At Fusion I’ve been encouraged to test limits and toe the line between safe and expected and outrageously creative design. I think it’s really stretched my brain and helped me think more creatively.

Lia: I’ve been able to see how important user-centered design is for Fusion. Seeing how deeply we prioritize understanding our clients and their audiences has reshaped my approach, emphasizing different needs in every project.

What do you think has been the key to Fusion’s longevity and success in the design industry?

Natasha: Our willingness to find a solution that works for everyone.

Brent: See answer to question #2.

Elmira: Professionalism, along with client and team happiness.

Sarah: A little bit of luck, but a lot of relationship-building/maintenance. Fusion prides itself on being friendly, honest and hardworking. Our clients have trust in us, and that’s why they keep coming back.

Melissa: I think the longevity and success of Fusion can be attributed to the positive relationships Brent and the team make and maintain with clients and the community. We’re great to work with!

Lia: I believe it’s Fusion’s commitment to do great work, be adaptability and stay ahead in a fast-paced industry.

What’s one design trend that Fusion embraced in the past that you’re glad we’ve moved away from, and why?

Natasha: Multi-lingual documents, they’re not accessible for the end audience and our designs are cleaner having each language in its own space. 

Brent: Letting clients drive the design. Clients have the background, the answers to the who, what, when, why, and how. But our team needs creative control to have the most successful end result. Otherwise, why are they hiring us? The clients that allow us the freedom to do what we do always net the best experience and results. In the beginning we didn’t push for that control, and worked with too many clients that weren’t collaborative. It’s one of the most frustrating challenges as a designer, knowing the final piece could have been better if we’d had the ability to drive the proverbial bus.

Elmira: As the developer of the Fusion team, I’m glad we’ve moved away from old WordPress builders like WPBakery. They were often slow, clunky, and made customization difficult. 

Sarah: We used to do a lot of photoshopping work when there were layered/transparent/dropshadow elements in layouts. It made for very time-consuming final file preparation. Since we always keep up with technology advancements, as software has improved, so has our ability to prep files more efficiently.

Melissa: Page navigation imbedded in PDF documents. Despite it still being a trend up until now, I think it’s been a great call for us to prioritize accessibility.

Lia: My time at fusion has almost come up to a year. I don’t think I have any trends in mind that i’m glad we’ve moved away from.

What are you most looking forward to as Fusion embarks on its 30th year of design solutions?

Natasha: Celebrating how far we’ve come as a team while continuing to grow within the industry.  

Brent: Bigger and better! Our team is stronger than ever, and we’re entering a new chapter of larger creative projects that highlight not only our creative, but our strategic capabilities.

Elmira: I’m excited to continue the great work we’ve been doing and push the limits with small, meaningful achievements. It’s the steady progress that keeps things exciting.

Sarah: Excited to see Fusion continue to evolve and grow as a company. To continue to branch out into work that involves more strategy, rather than production. We’ve matured as a studio, we have confidence and a strong team—so we’re ready to continue taking on bigger projects.

Melissa: I’m looking forward to hearing more stories about Fusion prior to my joining them team. Fusion’s history and experience is vast and I enjoy connecting that to how Fusion operates and thinks today.

Lia: I’m excited to see how we’ll innovate further. I’m looking forward to new collaborative projects and opportunities to push creative boundaries.

*BONUS*
If Fusion’s 29 year history were turned into a movie, what would it be called and who would play you?

Natasha: The Director of Client Happiness. Hailee Steinfeld, she’s the same age as me and I think she could be the right balance of fun and nervous. 

Brent: “Searching for mysteries without any clues”, starring Jim Carrey as Brent Long.

Elmira: Fusion’s Angels (inspired by Charlie’s Angels)! We’re a team of skilled and talented ladies, with our boss being the only male in the mix! LOL! I’d probably be played by Lucy Liu’s character, focusing on the technical aspects behind the scenes.  

Sarah: I’d call it “Monsters, Ink” or maybe “Cloudy with a Chance of Vectors”… or “Kung Fu Canvas”… Ooo or “The Incredidesigns”! and Sarah Silverman would be my casting choice!!!

Melissa: Every Minute is Another Minute. I love Lana Condor and I feel like she would do a great job of capturing my essence haha!

Lia: I would call the movie “Layouts and Lunch Breaks”. As for who would play me…? Maybe Zooey Deschanel because I love her in New Girl?!