Play, Live, Work, Enjoy.

We are proud to announce the public beta of our first Flash game developed specifically for the Facebook platform. Gifted! was developed for Koinonia Interactive and is a game about mastering the art of giving. Gifted! takes the worlds of social networking and online shopping and combines them into a fun and insightful blend.

With a catalog of over 300 unique gifts hand-picked from online retailers like Amazon and ThinkGeek players can not only give gifts to their friends online, they can also click a link and purchase these gifts "Fo' Real." Players are in store for some gifting fun just in time for the holidays… and who knows… maybe your holiday shopping will be just a bit easier after playing a few rounds.

Technically speaking, Gifted! brings together a variety of existing APIs such as Amazon's AWS, Google's Analytics and Facebook's ever-evolving code base as well as key aspects of PHP, MySQL and Flash ActionScript 3.0. Needless to say this was not a cookie cutter project but we have a happy client and a great foray into the world of socially networked games.

Will your friend think your gift is awesome? cool? or just plain craptastic?
Play Gifted! on Facebook and find out.

Here at JRVisuals we like our small plates… we also enjoy our wine.

When we were presented with the opportunity to develop a Flash micro-site for Triscuit, that paired gourmet recipes presented on the ever popular snack cracker with a variety of wines we were quite intrugued.

The site says it best: Tasty recipes for wine lovers. With their robust flavor, these bite-sized treats reflect everything that has made small plates the hottest new way for wine lovers to dine in America.

The site features an interactive carousel of over twenty different recipes and the five wines they pair best with. There are also pairing pointers for each wine to give you additional inspiration in your own recipes.

The recipe data is pulled in from external XML data files (for easy updates) and can be printed via a set of five PDF documents, one for each pairing. The carousel system was developed from scratch in ActionScript 3 and features dynamic shadows and layouts.

Visit Triscuit Small Plates on WineSpectator.com

Also, here is a direct link to the PDF of our favorite recipes…
those which pair with a nice Cabernet.

Triscuit Small Plates was created in collaboration with MShanken who was responsible for concept as well as account management and Silo Design who did the layout and user interface design.

500 B.C. is a new website that focuses on the connections between ancestry, mythology, and ecology. JRVisuals was given the opportunity to contribute by creating a series of Flash applications to help visualize these connections.

The Tribal Roots Finder and U.S. State Trees applications pair up to allow users to explore the trees which represent a specific region and it's indigenous peoples. Clicking on any of the 75+ map hot-spots will open a panel with an image of that location's tree as well as informative anecdotal text.

A third application, not yet live, shows the relationships between Celtic people, their trees, and their calendar.

As with much of our work, these applications combine elements of traditional design and typography with Flash ActionScript 3 and XML. The result is a dynamic experience which can be easily expanded and update by the client's staff without the need for a Flash expert on staff or an expensive content management system.

From the site:

Among the ancient threads that connect us, few things unite mankind like the tree. Trees are the oldest, largest, longest living things on Earth, and virtually every culture worldwide has a deep rooted tree mythology that resonates today. Travel the world using this map, and learn more. Then plant a tree in your community.

Click here to view the maps… and make sure to visit the 500BC.com site to learn more about your own roots and how you can help the planet which is your home.

Since its 1883 launch, LIFE Magazine has been the source of many American photographic icons. LIFE has recently begun the monumental task of updating their image and finding new venues for their content. For example, they have recently made 97% of their content (over 10 million images) available via a special Google LIFE search page. They are also preparing to launch a brand new website; LIFE.COM : Your World in Pictures.

In order to get people excited about the new site they have posted a temporary landing page which features a moving collage that includes a wealth of LIFE Magazine's beautiful and historic photos. That collage was created right here at JRVisuals.

Visit Life.com to check it out!