A message from our Founder | CEO
Corey Hadden

Something Experimental

GearFont

Here's something awesome:

ASTROVAN

Our mission:
To protect the World Wide Web from Boring. We love what we do.

Craql Media makes quality, strategic web development easy and accessible for the masses. We’ve seen a lot of web development that says nothing about the company it’s for. Worse yet, it has no character, no personality-- no crackle. Text on pages and templates are outdated and repetitive.

You are the expert on your business, and it is uniquely yours. We never want to try to fit you into a boxy, generic template. Instead, we sit down with you and discuss your business. We take your personal style, knowledge of your client-base, and information about your business-- seaming it all together to create a complete branding element for your company.

We believe your website should reflect you or your company as an entity; this means your viewers feel like they’ve been in your store and met the owner after just one visit. In this way, we build customer loyalty, brand identity and a positive, entertaining user experience.

Our philosophy is simple: The web is the most powerful communication tool ever devised. Let’s use it to its fullest.

The Big Question:
What is a "Craql"?

Craql was the nickname given to our founder, Corey Hadden, during high school as homage to his exuberant energy that occasionally bordered on sheer mania. Corey turned that energy inward during his time at Claremont McKenna, spending countless hours coding games and web pages with uncanny zeal.

In his time as a freelancer, he realized that the world wide web is the collective consciousness of our world. It was this belief that drove Mr. Hadden to create Craql Interactive, which specializes in the development of web pages that are as engaging as games while being technologically cutting edge.

Corey Hadden's Resume
A selected anthology of the works and feats of one Corey Hadden.

Promotional Packet
Something to take with you either digitally or in print.

Ci Promotional Packets will be available 3rd Quarter 2011

Portfolio Overview
Select a project below or from the right for more information.

Web

SF Pizzeria

Craql Interactive give SF Pizzeria a cooking new look!

Web

Upland Metals

Craql Interactive put Upland Metals LLC on the map!

Web

Ai Tutors : Student Tutor Portal

This student tutor portal runs like a social netowrk!

Web

The Mint Handicappers

Everyone wins with web development by Craql Interactive!

Web

The Cooking Store

Riverside's The Cooking Store gets a hot facelift!

Interactive

AstroVan

Pilot the Universe's last AstroVan through a musical odyssey!

Interactive

Paper Sub Hunt

The title says it all in Craql Interactive's stylized console throwback!

Interactive

Gear Font

Breakingthe fourth wall with interactive type.

Graphic

Absolut Hero

Craql Interactive gives a nod to the heroes of vodka!

Graphic

Time Magazine's Avatar of the Year

Craql Interactive paints a portrait of the year's most realistic fantastical creations.

Graphic

Interactive Type

Letters as art aligned by Math!

Device

Squirrel

Protect your valuables with this multi-platform utility!

Device

SmartBox

Get Done Quick with SmartBox Email Client

SF Pizzeria
Craql Interactive give SF Pizzeria a cooking new look!

The SF Pizzeria franchise is a stable of the inner city San Francisco community. We want to portray their style and energy in an organized and easily navigable fashion.

Client Problem
The current site is a wreck (hopefully intentionally so), the major issues are: no navigation whatsoever, three very long and repetitive pages, no way of placing orders from the web at least 6 different colors for text and backgrounds, plus black and white.

Ci Solution
Organization, Functionality and Branding were the name of the game for SF pizzeria. Craql Interactive created a “digital pizza joint” that harnesses the big city local pizza place feeling that SF Pizzeria strives for. We started from scratch and then boiled their brand down to it’s most salient colors and the elements most relevant to San Francisco pizza lovers.

Ci Deliverables

• Branded Web Presence
• Custom Shopping Experience

Upland Metals
Craql Interactive put Upland Metals LLC on the map!

When we came to Upland Metals LLC, they had no web presence. Searching for anything relevant to metals in upland gave irrelevant listings in yellow pages and other directories. Individuals and businesses literally could not find them, either digitally or in person.

Client Problem
No web presence meant no persona, let alone memorable branding for Upland metals.

Ci Solution
Craql Interactive created a brand through researching who Upland metals was and what the industry valued in a metal supplier. We then developed a web site based on that brand. Key features of the site include a dynamic map, pictures of the products and services and information about how to best contact the client. Craql Interactive also supplied the client with images of their products from an on-site photo shoot. We then packaged the development with branded business cards, Search-Engine-Opti

Ci Deliverables

• JavaScript Enabled Web Site
• Branded Business Cards

Ai Tutors : Student Tutor Portal
This student tutor portal runs like a social netowrk!

The Art Institute has an amazing student tutor program. Each degree program has tutors specially for its students.

Client Problem
When we were approached by the Art Institute, every tutor session had to be manually set up by one of the program administrators.

Ci Solution
Craql Interactive created a database driven network of student and tutor members. users can login, find a tutor by class hours of availability or name and then schedule appointments online.

Ci Deliverables

• Database Driven Web Presence

The Mint Handicappers
Everyone wins with web development by Craql Interactive!

The Mint Handicappers formed to give the best possible sports picks to their users. they wanted to sell multiple types of digital services.

Client Problem
An infinitely growing member base, products that changed daily and the need for a comprehensive admin content management system were just the tip of the iceberg for The Mint Handicappers web site.

Ci Solution
Craql Interactive came through in the fourth quarter! We built their branding and presence from the ground up. this business has everything necessary to expand without the need for any tech savvy individuals. We kept the aesthetics reserved and focused on a site that was easy for their customers to use yet very powerful.

Ci Deliverables

• Custom CMS Driven Web presence
• Logo
• Branded Business Cards

The Cooking Store
Riverside's The Cooking Store gets a hot facelift!

The Cooking Store hosts hilarious and enlightening cooking classes along with selling the most ingenious of cooking tools.

Client Problem
Their site lacked branding and appeal, it was also atrocious to navigate and their online store seemed like it belonged with some other business.

Ci Solution
We combined custom wordPress templates with our own backend to allow them to create, update and sell their classes as well as products online in an easily navigable format. We also gave them blog capabilities to increase their natural SEO. The whole package was wrapped in some exciting branding that stands alone and gives them all types of opportunities for print and promotional collateral.

Ci Deliverables

• Custom CMS driven Branded Web Presence
• branded and scalable eCommerce Solution

AstroVan
Pilot the Universe's last AstroVan through a musical odyssey!

Craql Interactive is all about experimentation and pushing the bounds. We also love game development... mainly because games bring joy. AstroVan was an opportunity to use music as an integral character in our gaming experience.

Client Problem
We need a high-speed, seizure enabling musical odyssey. We knew flash was the best platform.

Ci Solution
AstroVan creates a tunnel of doom based off of the music that is currently playing. Please have a high quality mouse and nerves of steel if you plan on playing. The minimalist, future-tech, user interface also keeps all the focus on the high speed action and visual effects.

Ci Deliverables

• Flash-Based Game
• Possible Seizures

Paper Sub Hunt
The title says it all in Craql Interactive's stylized console throwback!

Game Development is near and dear to our hearts. This particular interactive exploration plays with multiple control schemes as well as a graphical metaphor that makes this game eye catching.

Client Problem
We needed more frantic, fast-paced fun in our lives.

Ci Solution
This game gives everyone a great place to take a quick break. Multiple enemy types, and code that stays light keep this game firing all chambers. Special thanks to Cody Lawson of Cody Lawson Designs for his graphical prowess.

Ci Deliverables

• Flash-Based game

Gear Font
Breakingthe fourth wall with interactive type.

In working with clients I\'ve realized that they don\'t necessarily care about the code.

Client Problem
GearFont is an attempt to show the symbiotic relationshiop of code and form.

Ci Solution
From the literal sense of little gears interacting to create an artistic space to the relevance of keywords, GearFont shows how much can go on behind the scenes.

Ci Deliverables

• Flash-based experiment
• HTML interface

Absolut Hero
Craql Interactive gives a nod to the heroes of vodka!

Absolut vodka is a premium vodka that tries to reach at to as many demographics as possible through creative product placement.

Client Problem
Absolut vodka doesn't show up on the online gaming or comic book fan radar. They are seldom seen in video games or any comic book collateral.

Ci Solution
Craql Interactive gives Absolut its first forray into the world of comic books and thus many 20-something males with this snappy magazine add.

Ci Deliverables

• Magazine Layout
• Advertising Campaign

Time Magazine's Avatar of the Year
Craql Interactive paints a portrait of the year's most realistic fantastical creations.

James Cameron\'s Avatar made us all believe in a world of amazing colors and concepts. We hoped to celebrate the success his his 10 year in the making love child with this illustrative piece.

Client Problem
Craql Interactive loves Avatar and the concept of relying less on actors and more on cg when it comes to creating new plains of existence.

Ci Solution
A digital painting of a Naavi seated within a Time Magazine person of the year cover.

Ci Deliverables

• Magazine Cover
• Homage to James Cameron

Interactive Type
Letters as art aligned by Math!

The concept of programmatic code as an art form is one of the core values of Craql Interactive. This piece creates art from characters arranged by math.

Client Problem
The client needed a type piece using no more than 3 letters. They could be arranged and aligned in any manner.

Ci Solution
We took the letters "C", "I" and "X" and created an algorithm by which to align these characters. The result is characters interacting as form without inherent meanings.

Ci Deliverables

• Graphic Design Piece
• Proof of Concept

Squirrel
Protect your valuables with this multi-platform utility!

Everyday we carry hundreds of dollars in electronic devices in our pockets. When we factor in the geo-tracking abilities of modern cars, computers and tablets, we have thousands of dollars of tech with digital signatures. Add in home networks and all of our modern \"nuts\" are visible over wi-fi.

Client Problem
All of these devices are vulnerable to loss, attack or theft. We need a way to monitor them wherever we are.

Ci Solution
Squirrel allows you to keep track of all your nuts via wi-fi enabled tv, mobile device, computer or tablet. User interface systems are tailored to device used to access squirrel. This ensures an intuitive and consistent user experience.

Ci Deliverables

• HTML5 Based Device Application

SmartBox
Get Done Quick with SmartBox Email Client

Emailing from mobile devices is a huge time-saver. However, it can be a tiresome process on the iOS.

Client Problem
Emailing on the iPhone is not a very pleasurable or quick experience.

Ci Solution
SmartBox uses quick buttons and modal windows to get things done quickly.

Ci Deliverables

• Flash Based Mockup
• iPhone Web-Mail Application

Our Design + Development Process:
Simple, yet effective solutions to your web needs.

Listen and Learn

Craql Interactive joins your team. We get to know what your business does and how you do it. We then find out what a web presence can do for you. We also begin researching your industry to find out how we can make you the newest star.

Conceptualize and Create

Once we’ve gotten our bearings, we’ll build logical layouts for your websites pages that optimize user workflow and experience. These wireframes will then be turned into branded compositions that will serve as the interface for your future web presence.

Design and Develop

Now that we’ve decided what your web site will look like and what it will do, we’ll develop whatever applications and software necessary to give your web presence more than just a pretty face. We’ll then add the animation bells and whistles necessary to make the pages come to life and leave that memorable impact on your clients.

Debug and Deliver

After everything has been created, there is still the matter of a trial by fire. We’ll test the site for a month and be there every step of the way to make sure that your web site exceeds your expectations.

Development
Web and Device Development: the code behind the pretty faces.

Custom CMS Development
Craql Interactive creates custom Content Management Systems that will scale with your business. We can tailor an existing CMS or we can create a CMS that has exactly the features you need to keep your presence lightweight and your businesses development costs down.

Web Programming
Languages like Javascript, Actionscript, PHP and MySQL add all the most interactive functionality to the basic web programming. Craql Interactive can leverage the latest tech and concepts to create the perfect custom features for your web presence.

User Experience Artistry
The synthesis of function and form is the spark that creates a great user experience. Craql Interactive researches your users to find out what will put you ahead of your competition in the eyes of your users.

WordPress Development
WordPress is the most robust and powerful Blog based Content Management System. From design template to custom functionality, Craql Interactive knows WordPress from the ground up. Our knowledge allows us to leverage this development tool with cutting-edge

Interactive Content Development
Unlike hard copy pages, web pages can do infinitely more than just be read. Beyond clicking, beyond dynamic content, the latest applications allow pages to change with the users interactions. Craql Interactive pushes this even further by making interactiv

Design
Interactive Media Design: Creation of the aesthetic and user interfaces.

Web Design
You have very few seconds to engage and captivate your viewers. We design web pages that excite users about your brand through strategic placement, content organization and dynamic user interfaces. This leads to unforgettable web presences for your busine

Website Re-Design
Like our initial design, we start from goals and concepts for you web site. Moving through wireframes to mockups we create beautiful pages that focus users and help them find the best of your content.

User Interface Design
An engaging user interface makes guests feel comfortable with you\'re brand. When we add intuitive controls and quick navigation, you get pages that convert to sales and leave users feeling good about their experience.

Magazine Layouts
Magazines and web have similar reader attention span, necessity for branded elements and typographical guidelines. Craql Interactive is the perfect company to make traditional mediums like magazines yield the emotional appeal and product engagement of the world's best advertising medium, the world wide web.

Identity
Branding and Corporate Identity Design

Logo Design
You're logo is the core of your professional branding. It must be easily recognizeable, modern and yet timeless, strong enough to stand apart and yet flexible enough to grow with and lend itself to your products and services. Our stance is that your logo be the prototype for your branded elements. This means that we create everything from the ground up to make sure that your brand inspire your clients to purchase your products and services but also tell their friends about your exciting company

Branded Web Presence
The possibilities for content, design and functionality within a web site change at an alarming rate. Craql Interactive is committed to creating or expanding your brand by wrapping it within the core of a feature rich web presence. By examining what makes your brand consistent and powerful, we can create a presence that makes your clientele not only comfortable with but excited about your products and services.

Print Collateral
From business cards to t-shirts, Craql Interactive creates branded print collateral to help build and expand your print collateral.

Experimental
New ways to leverage the latest technologies.

Game Development
Our passion for programming and development makes us your ideal candidate for bringing something fun to life. We specialize in flash-based web games; our general programming prowess let's us also develop in your projects mobile language.

Blog Categories

Tech Talk
A single web page can be made up from anywhere between one and upwards of 20 languages with an infinite number of software packages and external libraries pulled into the mix to develop this web page. Articles in this category share my thoughts and insights on how to best leverage the latest web technologies.

Design Concepts
Websites have many complex gears that get set into action for every user that visits. When done perfectly, all the programmatic functionality disappears behind clean, timely and engaging user interfaces. These articles talk about current design trends.

Current Promotions
Promotions are usually a great way to get clients in the door... so shapow! Craql Interactive Design and Development bundles generally are ways for you to save money by getting a collection of services that are currently creating huge results on the web. We make sure that all Craql Interactive promotional packages have the features and scalability to fit your businesses beginning budget and long-term needs.

Latest Posts

Tech Talk

A single web page can be made up from anywhere between one and upwards of 20 languages with an infinite number of software packages and external libraries pulled into the mix to develop this web page. Articles in this category share my thoughts and insights on how to best leverage the latest web technologies.

HTML5 CSS3 and the latest browsers.
May / 2011

Due to th advent of html5 becoming supported standard. Allow all browsers have update their HTML4 cross compatibility. Also, drop-shadows and rounded-corners (effects that used to be attained through images can bs rendered via CSS3). With the release of Internet Explorer 9, even Microsoft has gotten on board. Still the most exciting application of html5 standards is in the mobile arena.

Now all the most popular mobile browsers support html5 and css3. When you pair these great languages with jQuery mobile. You can create a unified mobile web application that leverages geo-location, all the cool mobile device gestures, has great web seo and allows for the maintenance of a single backend

As a business owner and prospective client, this means a drastically reduced cost for mobile development with increased and mor consistent functionality across devices.

Say hello to my little friend skully
Apr / 2011

Skully is a 2.5 in tall skeleton win a glowing heart light. Skully charges off of USB to an audio in jack in his butt. Skully plays music with ridiculous sound while bein powered by my mobile device. Snippy costs $20 bucks and is available at Best Buy.

If you've ever attempted to listen to music in random locations and not been able to find a power supply, skully is for you. If you've ever plugged in portable speakers to find that the batteries were dead or worse yet corroded from weeks of neglect, Skully should also be one of your best friends.

Unfortunately, with time and humidity Skully has fallen into il-repair. Fairwl my little friend.

The new EEE Slate PC: a bare knuckles review
Mar / 2011

There is no doubt that slate PCs are the wave of the future. Star Trek introduced us to digital workpads in the mid 70s, if we're learned anything from flip phones... Star Trek wrote the future. However, with the advent of the iPad and to an extent other closed operating system tablet PCs, it seemed that the bright future pioneered by Fujitsu and their workplace tablets would be dashed away by over-sized smart phones. Apple had made us believe that limiting usability and allowing for only one way to do something was a "revolution". Leave it to Apple to convince fanboys and consumer masses that fascism was a feature. Then it happened: Intel, Asus and Microsoft answered my dreams and realized my hopes.

The EEE slate PC was released less than a month ago. It's awesome! The onboard i5 processor makes it by far the fastest tablet on the market, it boasts multiple usb ports bloue tooth wi-fi and about 5 hours of battery life. This sexy little beast comes with a bluetooth keyboard, stylus and case... so no their will be no ridiculously priced in store upsells. There's no need to worry about phone carrier contracts and the 3 year warranty is a ridiculously sweet all inclusive deal. In an attempt to not be a fanboy, let's put all the cards on the table... Although this beast of a slate is the reigning king (and speculatively will be until at least the end of 2011) it has a hefty price tag.

The slate bundle will set you back $1099, with the all inclusive warranty you'll come in just under $1400. This price tag doesn't include windows 7 starter or mobile... it's a full version of windows 7 home premium with the signature bundle for enhanced slate functionality. On completely optimistic speculation, I'm hoping Asus will create a couple other versions of this magnificent device to go along with their flagship EEE slate. If so the price tag may come down. The other bad news, Microsoft stores are back-ordered (although this is really good news for the state of the American consumers intelligence.) Finally, an electronics producer is not selling bells and whistles, repackaged functionality or media hype (with a heavy dose of product placement).

If this device has you as excited about the future as it does me, check it out at your local Microsoft Store. If like me you live in California where they are sparse, fly to the mall of America in Minnesota where the Apple and Microsoft stores face each other in an epic battle of tech empires. Between the EEE Slate and the Kinect, Microsoft is pushing boundaries, now if they can just produce an awesome mobile operating system they'll get back some serious market share. What kind of world do we live in where a tech skeptic like myself has to root for Microsoft?!

PS for Mac Lovers:
--The EEE Slate comes in shiny plastic.
--it also has a camera.
--there's a huge app library available on the launch date, it consists of every program that runs on windows :)

Google AdWords - Knowing is Half the Battle
Mar / 2011

Google AdWords is the best way to advertise your business on the web. However, it works best when your site's structural SEO is maximized. The service makes up more than 95% of Google's revenue because it shows your website's ad every time someone searches for a relevant term.

Our team will help you choose the best keywords to make your company show under the right searches. Next, we'll build a site with relevant contents and clearly navigable links and pages by Google's web robots. This means that even though other companies may be spending more money to show up for the same words you are, your site will have better content and structure, thus still show up higher under the sponsored links section of a Google search result.

As part of our service packages, we'll research new AdWords while monitoring your current results. We'll also watch your users page clicks to make sure they're finding what they want as quickly as possible. Other companies will charge you for this secondary SEO service at rates in the thousands of dollars monthly.

Both structural and functional SEO are included in our packages for thousands of dollars less that SEO only firms. We think the choice is clear, contact us now to make sure your taking advantage of Google's most amazing product yet.

Myth: Google Can\'t Search for Flash Content
Mar / 2011

Many people believe that Google's GoogleBot and Yahoo's Slurp can't find Flash content. AS a result, they try to steer towards JavaScript for dynamic content. The truth of the matter is quite different. Google can in fact find all Flash content having been placed in static fields or frames on the main timeline and thus exportable on the first frame. For all you AS3 cowboys out there, this is awesome news. For all of you JavaScript addicts, please read on as there is also bad news.

All of your JavaScript (generally asynchronous) that runs (on load) will not show up to spiders as they can only read the first view of a page. This means that both dynamic languages are in the same boat: we have to think about a static page version which loads rich content before all the dynamic bells and whistles go off.

So that's some food for thought, if you got lost in the first paragraph, get yourself a web design development team, we suggest Craql Interactive!

Design Concepts

Websites have many complex gears that get set into action for every user that visits. When done perfectly, all the programmatic functionality disappears behind clean, timely and engaging user interfaces. These articles talk about current design trends.

What makes a brand?
Mar / 2011

Creating an effective brand is more than just an art form, it's a calling. However, creating a consistent brand is more on an equation. A brand can be boiled down to six major elements: logo, typefaces, branded elements, color palette and terminology.

the logo is the heart and soul of a brand, it's the one look face of any company. It must convey a feeling while also having structure. Keeping it consistent at least makes all associated collateral well... associated.

The typefaces used are often overlooked in the world of digital development. Generally this is because of the misconception that the web has a limited number of fonts available. this was true in 2001, it's not anymore. A text font or two and a display font will create a lasting typography for your endeavor that reads across mediums. Also, changing the color or weight of a text is often a better choice than changing the font to keep your brand strong.

Typography is the foundation for headers, menus and of course your content. However, the proper creation of branded visual elements to hold this content is as important as to user experience as rich content is to SEO. Branded elements can be icons, text containers, page headers and footers, backgrounds or anything else that a designer would put thought, research and energy into creating. These elements help convey a feeling and will create a visual motif (such as a driving game using a dashboard as their web presence concept). These elements should be used wherever possible and logical to build the type of memorable user experiences and brand loyalty that will help your business thrive.

All of these elements will not lead to a strong, trustworthy and memorable brand without a concise and consistent color palette. The selection of 3-5 colors and careful examination of each colors vibrancy will create a brand that is striking in any medium.

One of the most overlooked components to a wholesome brand is product terminology. Very similar products can ge buy different names if purchased at McDonald's or Burger King. In many circles web design and web development are synonymous (Craql Interactive believes that design relates to aesthetic form whereas development relates to underlying functionality). Effectively, we can name are products whatever we'd like as long as it makes logical sense and we keep consistent. Custom terminology in menus, headers and content will help users remember your brand and can even increase SEO.

These are the factors Craql Interactive takes into account when building, expanding or creating from your business's brand. These are the concepts Craql Interactive tackles as part of our Listening and Learning process in project development. Craql Interactive brings your brand to life.

IT Teamwork: Why the right developer is key.
Mar / 2011

You are the best expert on your business. We never want to put you into the, often mismatched, type of design boxes that comes from templates. Thus, we sit down with you and build a design concept from how you see your business. Then we craft it into a coherent branding element for your company. We add web standard functionality and user direction then craft new elements to give your side an edge in sometimes crowded markets.

Our belief is that your website should reflect you or your company as an entity, this means your viewers feel like they�ve been in your store and met the owner after just one visit. In this way, we build customer loyalty, brand identity and positive user experiences.

The Trouble with Templates
Mar / 2011

Templates aren�t evil, they�re for small groups that don�t have any specific branding. Templates can allow a small grouping with predefined goals to get their first site on the web. However, so can Facebook or Myspace for free and with better SEO and more functionality also advertisements and very limited layout customization. If you have a business, you need branding. If you brand your business, then you need to brand your website and print collateral accordingly.

Assuming you don�t choose to customize your template at all, and have an it person on staff or that will put in hours of code customization for free, you may begin to see some of the savings from template sites. At this point, you have a generic website, that can�t be found on the web and sub par, easily forgettable branding. The �unique� templates offered on monster.com start at $3000.

Our Bold Beginnings Bundle gives you all the benefits of a $3000 custom template, plus corporate branding , SEO maximization, printed collateral and the google apps package to help you run your business all for thousands of dollars less. You could use some of that cash to put together a quality, secure storefront to start selling some wares on the.

We think it�s a no brainer, go ahead and contact us so we can get started building something awesome.

Current Promotions

Promotions are usually a great way to get clients in the door... so shapow! Craql Interactive Design and Development bundles generally are ways for you to save money by getting a collection of services that are currently creating huge results on the web. We make sure that all Craql Interactive promotional packages have the features and scalability to fit your businesses beginning budget and long-term needs.