Fusion Hill has been conducting one-on-one usability testing of online tools to help consumers determine a treatment path for their back pain and find the best provider in their area. As consumers navigate through the tools, they’ve told us what’s working for them and what’s not. Most importantly they’re telling us how they would redesign the tools to best suit their needs, both graphically and in terms of content. With this valuable information, our client will be armed to build a better way for consumers to find ways to manage their back pain, with a pain-free, online experience.
December 16, 2011 | Research
We’re up to our elbows in ink. Our holiday card has been in development on screen for weeks, but today it comes to life in print. Silk screened here at Fusion Hill on Curious SKIN, this year’s greeting is sure to be brilliant.
December 8, 2011 | Research
Talking to patients about cancer is a delicate task. We recently returned from focus groups in Minneapolis and Atlanta discussing the various journeys of people with cancer and their healthcare decisions. Thank you to all the participants in this study. With your input, we hope to make paths to healing easier and more supportive in the future.
November 23, 2011 | Research
Back pain is the #1 expense in healthcare and the #2 reason for patient visits to doctor’s offices. During a recent study on back pain, primary care physicians, orthopedic surgeons, and neurosurgeons described the complexity of treating this omnipresent medical condition. Surprisingly, according to the experts, the overwhelming majority of patients who suffer from back pain will get better on their own, regardless of treatment. This is an important finding when considering the great deal of money spent on diagnostic and treatment modalities for back pain that are not always conclusive or effective. Multiple doctors report that, “Sometimes it just takes our reassurance that their backs will naturally get better on their own.” This is an important message to the American population where a vast majority of adults suffer from back pain in their lives due to obesity, pregnancy, arthritis, spinal conditions, or just the natural aging of the body.
November 3, 2011 | Research
This week, we step into the field to talk to people about how they can better manage their healthcare – from illnesses, returning home after a hospital visit, to pregnancy and keeping up-to-date with tests and check-ups for mom and baby. We’re asking consumers how a specialized nurse could help them manage these life events and changes and how it would make their overall experience that much better. What do you need help managing?
October 28, 2011 | Research
We’re proud to announce our newest pro bono partnership! In 2011 and 2012 we will be working with Genesis II for Families. This is an organization that deserves some design love in return for all of their good work and dedication in strengthening families, empowering youth and changing lives in our community – since 1976. We’re excited to be helping them put a new face on their brand with a new name, logo and image system. Follow us here at on Twitter to watch our progress!
October 17, 2011 | Creative, Culture
At Fusion Hill, we sometimes pause from our busy schedule in order to do some continued learning within our field. Last month, two Fusion Hill researchers attended The Ethnographic Praxis in Industry Conference (EPIC) in Boulder, Colorado. EPIC is a meeting of the minds for anthropologists, corporate and agency consumer insights researchers, designers, teachers, writers and dreamers on topics such as the changing role of ethnography in business. Some of the highlights included keynote speeches by former head of Creative for Apple, Hugh Dubberly and Science Fiction author, Bruce Sterling. Key attendees and corporate sponsors included Google, Intel, Microsoft, IBM and more. We collected many new ideas and are incorporating this inspiration into new strategy and deliverables for the future.
October 7, 2011 | Culture, Research
School is back in full swing and so we’ve hit the library and refreshed our reading list. We are nose-deep in several books and academic journals and comparing notes on research and marketing trends, anthropology, international purchasing, and all things de rigueur. Look for these influences in our upcoming methodologies and deliverables.
September 16, 2011 | Research
This summer we celebrated five savvy ladies who have been on staff with us for five years. We found the perfect way to commemorate their anniversaries – personalized bling from Tiffany & Co. for each one of them. To top it off we had an all-company champagne toast followed by dinner on one of the Twin Cities best rooftops. It was a lovely night at The Woman’s Club of Minneapolis.
September 12, 2011 | Culture
We were recently asked to write an article for Circulation Research, a peer-reviewed journal, about our research findings on Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). The study explored the patient experience and decision-making process of those who have heart disease and how they have chosen or will choose a treatment path. The article, planned for Spring 2012, will discuss Fusion Hill’s qualitative research methodology and rich findings, illuminating them for the larger medical community. According to the editor, the consumer perspective is an exciting frontier that has not been explored in the journal’s history. We’re pleased to be pioneers in this regard.
September 9, 2011 | Research
It’s that time of year again in Minnesota. The State Fair comes to life and suddenly everything can be had – on a stick. So here’s getting into the spirit of it all. This week, we’ve serving up “Strategy on a Stick”. Stop on in for a sample.
September 1, 2011 | Research
You’d have to be shipwrecked on the Island of Crete for a few years not to have heard the buzz about Greek yogurt. Fusion Hill recently completed CPG research that explored the quickly changing landscape of the yogurt aisle. It turns out that Greek yogurt is one of the fastest growing products in the refrigerated aisle, gaining rapid popularity for its high protein content and halo of natural ingredients. Most major food manufacturers have responded to the Greek sensation by creating versions of their own Greek yogurt, putting to test the new, trendy and hard-to-pronounce brands against the tried-and-true traditional yogurt brands. Only time will tell how long the Greek phase will last, but for now, it is good to be Greek.
August 23, 2011 | Research
