To-Do Lists: Paper or Virtual?

Posted by Florence

• Oct 10, 2012
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I am a to-do lister. Actually, I think all of us at Fusion are. It’s the only way we can stay organized in such a fast-paced industry. And up until a few months ago, I was a paper kind of girl. I would write my to-do lists down every morning in my little notebook.

Then, my job changed. I became really busy. And suddenly my paper list wasn’t cutting it anymore. It couldn’t keep track of due dates and set reminders for future events. It couldn’t help prioritize tasks. And my brain just couldn’t handle all the information it needed to.

So, I turned to technology. Surely someone has created an app or a program or a website that could serve as my brain, right? And – here’s the catch – for free?!

I literally googled “free personal project management tools” and up popped hundreds of hits. I spent a good week checking out different tools and websites to see which worked best for me. I wanted something fairly simple and user-friendly. All it needed to do was keep track of tasks and due dates by project.

The winner? Todoist. It has a very simple and clean interface. It’s also a web-based tool, which is great, should I need to work remotely. Tasks can be displayed by project or by due date, and it’s simple to move tasks around. Plus – this is my favourite feature – it has a plugin for your web browser, so there’s no need to access the website everyday. I just click on the Todoist icon in my toolbar and it collapses to the side of my browser, making it easily accessible.

It’s been around two months and so far, it’s really worked for me. I’ve stuck with the free version, whereas the paid version offers options like integration with iCal and productivity tracking. There are definitely times when I miss having a paper list, but I know there’s no way I could survive otherwise.

Have you tried using any personal project management tools? Or are you a paper to-do lister?

The Kuzina Cup

Posted by Florence

• Jun 7, 2012
• Posted in: News
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In the spring of 2011, Winnipeg’s graphic design community lost one of its brightest lights with the passing of Terry Kuzina. Terry was one of the founding partners of Fusion Communications Group and was the acting Creative Director until his passing. Terry loved mentoring design students, passing on his wisdom to those who were eager to learn. He also had a love for golf and worked hard to be the best he could on the links. Combining his two passions, The Kuzina Cup was created to raise funds for an annual student award at Red River College for excellence in graphic design.

The first annual Kuzina Cup takes place Friday, September 7 at Larters in St. Andrews. The 18-hole, Texas Scramble format is great for avid golfers and those just looking to have fun. Come join us to network with and support the local design and advertising community! To register, click here. Or, if you'd like to support the tournament by becoming a sponsor, click here.

Hope to see you on the links!

A World-Class Airport

Posted by Florence

• Apr 4, 2012
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Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport

Yesterday, the Travel Channel released its list of the Top 10 World's Most Iconic Airports. Amazingly, Winnipeg's own James Armstrong Richardson International Airport made the list! 

Prior to working at Fusion, I worked for Winnipeg Airports Authority. Part of my job included working on the tenders for food and retail concessions. Do you know how hard it was to keep my mouth shut when inside I was jumping for joy at the thought of dining at Stella's and TGIFridays? So more than others, I feel like I 'own' a little piece of that terminal. I waited anxiously for it to open, as I couldn't wait to see it all come to life.

When I finally did set foot in the terminal, I have to admit that I stood, just inside the entrance of the arrivals level, for a few minutes just to soak it all in. Blueprints and renderings could not have prepared me for the feeling of the new terminal. The openness, those skylights, the feeling of space and vastness overcame me. I suddenly felt so proud. For the first time, it felt like the 'door' to the city fully captured the essence of the city. Winnipeg no longer felt like a tiny little town, but a proud and welcoming big city. 

So while I laugh a little at the thought of our airport being on the same list as Changi or Incheon - as we're nowhere near that capacity -  I'm proud to see our airport recognized for what it is, and what it means to our city. And now, I want to visit those other airports -- I mean, there's a 4-storey slide at the airport in Shanghai! Who's with me?

Craving A Little Human Interaction

Posted by Florence

• Jan 12, 2012
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At a recent family dinner, I looked around the room at one point and noticed that of the eight people there, five were on their phone either texting, playing Fruit Ninja or on Facebook. A sad, but true reality at most social gatherings I seem to attend nowadays. Have you noticed the same?

Enter a game called "The Phone Stack". The Globe and Mail recently published this article about the game that challenges people to take a break from their phone while out to dinner with friends and put it in a stack, face down on the table. Even as the phones ring and buzz, no one's allowed to touch it. The first person to flip over their phone loses, and has to pay for dinner.

Simple, but brilliant. There's nothing I hate more than people more occupied with what's on their phone than the conversation. So, could you do it? Is that text or email worth the cost of everyone's dinner to you?