It's not enough to just have a website anymore.
It must stand out. It must have character. It must have heart.
It must speak for you when you're not there to speak for yourself.
It must stand out. It must have character. It must have heart.
It must speak for you when you're not there to speak for yourself.
Mitchell Phillips is an independent graphic and web designer from Charlotte, North Carolina.
Anyone hungry for some BBQ
19 Oct 2008
It seems that every time you turn on the television these days there are a gazillion commercials featuring two politicians hurling vicious insults and demeaning statements at each other. John Smith voted 90% of the time to kill baby kittens. I'm Tom Jones and I approve this message. Tom Jones was seen leaving Sister Suzi's Sexy Soiree last weekend. I'm John Smith and I approve this message. And on and on it goes. Lately the best examples seem to all involve one particular product that as a boy growing up in eastern North Carolina I can really relate to -- that delicious, juicy meat we call pork. I'll be the first to admit, before this election season I had no idea what a pork barrel was or what pork barrel spending meant. But each and every day we are bombarded with commercials and debates, political analysis after political analysis, all mentioning pork and pork barrels. Who knew Washington was so damn hungry!?! Let me first say that after some research and Wikipedia browsing, I'm a bit more clear on what they are referring to when they say pork barrel spending and earmarks, blah blah blah. But for a moment I'd like to play ignorant and make a suggestion. How about we drop the whole pork thing and focus on something a bit more flavorful. Why not "tuna tartare spending" or "filet mignon barrels". I think it's time we drop the pork products and move on to something with some more class and style. Abandon your pork chops and upgrade to a juicy rack of lamb. To hell with your barbeque fine sir! Tonight we dine on lobster. Indeed as a voter and a taxpaying citizen of this great nation, I believe we should join together and march the steps of Washington, demanding that the pig be set free.
I agree there isn't much validity to my argument. And it doesn't make much sense. Maybe I'm just sick of hearing all the he-said, she-said BS spewed back and forth between all these politicians. If you want my vote, tell me what you're going to do for me. NOT what the other guy won't do for me. Seems like that would enhance your image more by rising above the kindergarten name calling and get down to the meat and bones of the issues.
Anyhow, enough rambling for now. I think I'll head to Cookout and order a few of those greasy BBQ sandwiches smothered in Texas Pete and creamy coleslaw. They're golden!
Tomorrow I'll enlighten you with why I think the stock market and fantasy football were crafted from the same bag of tricks.
I agree there isn't much validity to my argument. And it doesn't make much sense. Maybe I'm just sick of hearing all the he-said, she-said BS spewed back and forth between all these politicians. If you want my vote, tell me what you're going to do for me. NOT what the other guy won't do for me. Seems like that would enhance your image more by rising above the kindergarten name calling and get down to the meat and bones of the issues.
Anyhow, enough rambling for now. I think I'll head to Cookout and order a few of those greasy BBQ sandwiches smothered in Texas Pete and creamy coleslaw. They're golden!
Tomorrow I'll enlighten you with why I think the stock market and fantasy football were crafted from the same bag of tricks.
iamgoingtovote.com
18 Oct 2008
Hello all.
Recently I launched a new project called iamgoingtovote.com. It is an attempt to gather as many reasons from Americans as to why they are going to vote in the upcoming election. I encourage you (if you haven't already) to stop by the site and contribute your ideas. It is completely anonymous and it gives you some great perspectives into what everyone is thinking. Enjoy.
Recently I launched a new project called iamgoingtovote.com. It is an attempt to gather as many reasons from Americans as to why they are going to vote in the upcoming election. I encourage you (if you haven't already) to stop by the site and contribute your ideas. It is completely anonymous and it gives you some great perspectives into what everyone is thinking. Enjoy.
Cool winds are starting to blow.
09 Oct 2008
So I realize as the owner and sole proprietor as this website, I should make a much more conscious effort to update. As a web designer, one of the number one rules of a good website is to make sure it is up to date and active. There I go breaking the rules... again. Guess I'm entitled to when I own the site. I have valid excuses for my lack of internet shenanigans I suppose. I've been extremely busy with multiple projects and hope to wrap some of them up in the coming weeks. A couple of websites, a couple of promotional projects, and a secret experiment I'm brewing up in the lab. Kidding. Maybe. I've started the initial phases of a project I'm calling Indecisive Phillips Redesign v2. I always intended for this layout to be temporary while I designed a "real" website for myself, so I guess it's time I put some of my creativity towards a brand new shiny website. I'd like to promise it will be done sometime soon, but we all know that's unlikely. I'm trying to decide if I should add a few new projects to this site or just wait until I launch the new site and surprise everyone. Let me know.
In other "me" related things... the Cubs lost, I'm bummed, thank God Duke basketball starts soon and I can drown my sorrow in another program destined to disappoint me year after year.
Here's a project I'm currently working on...
In other "me" related things... the Cubs lost, I'm bummed, thank God Duke basketball starts soon and I can drown my sorrow in another program destined to disappoint me year after year.
Here's a project I'm currently working on...
ten years have passed
22 Aug 2008
August 6, 1998
I'm a junior in high school and my buddy and I make the 4 plus hour trip to Charlotte to see our favorite band, The Smashing Pumpkins. They are one of the reasons I started a band in high school and pursued it for the next seven years. The brilliant artistry and amazing technicality of the Pumpkins were a huge influence in my life both as an artist and as a person. My band experienced many changes in style and seemed to be a revolving door of members throughout our brief career, but the Pumpkins influence was always a subtle underlying theme throughout the music I wrote. I remember the show quite clearly and it stood out as something remarkable and sincere in my mind. I had seen the band quite a few times before then, but the intensity and passion that oozed from the speakers of Ovens Auditorium that night was amazing. They played a great set consisting of various tracks from Gish, Siamese Dream, Mellon Collie, and Adore. I remember thinking how perfect they were and what it felt like to be in that moment. I got it and I treasured the message.
August 15, 2008
Fast forward ten years. The chance to see my beloved Pumpkins perform live again after the bands demise in '04 was something I was very much excited for. It's interesting to witness the band in that same environment ten years later. It seems we have both grown in many ways. I was no longer the high school kid gawking at my favorite band. Now I was the married guy simply enjoying an evening out with his lovely wife. I was no longer in awe of every guitar solo, pick slide, and palm mute Billy Corgan managed to squeeze from his mighty axe. Now I was the guy who admired him as a businessman and applauded his selfless true-to-heart approach to music making. I found myself savoring each moment of the show, much like I had done some ten years before, but in a much different way. It made me realize what a great adventure music is in a persons life. The way that bands music intertwined throughout my life seemed to come full circle. One of the first Smashing Pumpkins songs I ever learned to play on guitar was 'Today'. An epic song that I'm sure most of you have heard many times. That song had such a profound impact on me that my wife and I had it played live at our wedding (yeah, it's okay to be jealous!). When the guitars started that infamous guitar part to open the song, I shot a quick glance at my beautiful wife beside me. Life had come full circle and the moment was amazing and sincere (not sure that she saw the single tear drop in the corner of my eye). The show was among my favorites and I'm glad I was able to witness the genius and force that is the Smashing Pumpkins.
I'm a junior in high school and my buddy and I make the 4 plus hour trip to Charlotte to see our favorite band, The Smashing Pumpkins. They are one of the reasons I started a band in high school and pursued it for the next seven years. The brilliant artistry and amazing technicality of the Pumpkins were a huge influence in my life both as an artist and as a person. My band experienced many changes in style and seemed to be a revolving door of members throughout our brief career, but the Pumpkins influence was always a subtle underlying theme throughout the music I wrote. I remember the show quite clearly and it stood out as something remarkable and sincere in my mind. I had seen the band quite a few times before then, but the intensity and passion that oozed from the speakers of Ovens Auditorium that night was amazing. They played a great set consisting of various tracks from Gish, Siamese Dream, Mellon Collie, and Adore. I remember thinking how perfect they were and what it felt like to be in that moment. I got it and I treasured the message.
August 15, 2008
Fast forward ten years. The chance to see my beloved Pumpkins perform live again after the bands demise in '04 was something I was very much excited for. It's interesting to witness the band in that same environment ten years later. It seems we have both grown in many ways. I was no longer the high school kid gawking at my favorite band. Now I was the married guy simply enjoying an evening out with his lovely wife. I was no longer in awe of every guitar solo, pick slide, and palm mute Billy Corgan managed to squeeze from his mighty axe. Now I was the guy who admired him as a businessman and applauded his selfless true-to-heart approach to music making. I found myself savoring each moment of the show, much like I had done some ten years before, but in a much different way. It made me realize what a great adventure music is in a persons life. The way that bands music intertwined throughout my life seemed to come full circle. One of the first Smashing Pumpkins songs I ever learned to play on guitar was 'Today'. An epic song that I'm sure most of you have heard many times. That song had such a profound impact on me that my wife and I had it played live at our wedding (yeah, it's okay to be jealous!). When the guitars started that infamous guitar part to open the song, I shot a quick glance at my beautiful wife beside me. Life had come full circle and the moment was amazing and sincere (not sure that she saw the single tear drop in the corner of my eye). The show was among my favorites and I'm glad I was able to witness the genius and force that is the Smashing Pumpkins.
Random Photo
13 Aug 2008
I was digging through some photos today and found this. I took it this past Christmas.
Basically just opened up the lens and moved the camera around in crazy patterns. Reminds me of the county fair...
Basically just opened up the lens and moved the camera around in crazy patterns. Reminds me of the county fair...
How to deal with all those thoughts
07 Aug 2008
This past week I have been struggling with motivating myself to put a substantial amount of time into being creative. I hate to refer to things as "dry spells" because I feel we are never truly out of ideas, but we are merely seeking an alternate route to the end result. I am currently working on a few various projects that I am extremely excited about, but I find my mind constantly wandering to other things. I am working on something that has been a goal of mine for the past few years and I can finally see the tiny, faint light at the end of the tunnel and am hoping to wrap it up around the end of the year. Should be an exciting and fun project to finish. I guess I'm curious as to how other people handle the downtime between peaks. I tend to classify the things in my daily routine as important or not so important. Often when I am stuck on an idea or need to clear my mind, I will resort to something like a book or music or a video game or drawing. I find this acts as a temporary band-aid, but I can't completely clear my mind and tend to drop what I'm doing and return to my work. When does one reach the point of being able to finish something and be 100% satisfied with it? Does that ever come or do we always look at our work and want to improve it or reinterpret it somehow. Who knows...
Driving Home
24 Jul 2008
So on my 30 minute drive home today, I made some observations. These are solely my opinion so digest them all with a grain of kosher salt. I tend to rant a lot while driving (so I've been told).
1. We've all at some point heard Pearl Jams "Yellow Ledbetter." It is a really good song... probably one of my favorites by them. But can anyone tell me what the heck he is saying? He mumbles and carries on like an inebriated fool. Made me quickly turn the channel.
2. Isn't it dangerous for old women to sit so closely to the steering wheel? As I sat at a stoplight waiting for the green light, an elderly woman crept up beside me. I couldn't help but notice that she was literally inches away from kissing the steering wheel. I can only imagine the brutal after effects of the airbag deploying with her so close. I hope she gets home safely and stays out of any high speed crashes... not that many old women get in high speed crashes.
3. Speaking of high speeds... why do car manufacturers make cars go 120 MPH when the speed limit rarely ever exceeds 70?
4. When did duct tape and spray paint replace taking your car to the body shop to have the front end reattached. I guess it works for some people.
5. Who told people it was okay to pull out in the middle of traffic just because a car is turning. When I'm going 60 MPH and the car in front of me is turning, it doesn't mean I'm going to come to a complete stop and you have the right to pull in front of me. Yeah I'm talking to you Mr. Snazzy Business Man in the little Red Miata...
6. Satellite radio is just like terrestrial radio... the only difference is that profanity is allowed and it costs money. They both play the same old stuff day in and day out.
1. We've all at some point heard Pearl Jams "Yellow Ledbetter." It is a really good song... probably one of my favorites by them. But can anyone tell me what the heck he is saying? He mumbles and carries on like an inebriated fool. Made me quickly turn the channel.
2. Isn't it dangerous for old women to sit so closely to the steering wheel? As I sat at a stoplight waiting for the green light, an elderly woman crept up beside me. I couldn't help but notice that she was literally inches away from kissing the steering wheel. I can only imagine the brutal after effects of the airbag deploying with her so close. I hope she gets home safely and stays out of any high speed crashes... not that many old women get in high speed crashes.
3. Speaking of high speeds... why do car manufacturers make cars go 120 MPH when the speed limit rarely ever exceeds 70?
4. When did duct tape and spray paint replace taking your car to the body shop to have the front end reattached. I guess it works for some people.
5. Who told people it was okay to pull out in the middle of traffic just because a car is turning. When I'm going 60 MPH and the car in front of me is turning, it doesn't mean I'm going to come to a complete stop and you have the right to pull in front of me. Yeah I'm talking to you Mr. Snazzy Business Man in the little Red Miata...
6. Satellite radio is just like terrestrial radio... the only difference is that profanity is allowed and it costs money. They both play the same old stuff day in and day out.
Guess what Katy Perry!?!
15 Jul 2008
I kissed my wife and I liked it.
The taste of her cherry Banana Blast Chapstick.
Growing Up
14 Jul 2008
So it occurred to me today as I sat in traffic, that I've grown up a lot over the past few years. The guys in the car beside me had their music blasting, the profanity flowing, and the carefree look of 16 year olds on their way to a rock show. I called my wife to inquire as to whether any shows were scheduled for the day at the amphitheater and why so many people were there at 11 in the morning. She informed me that today the Warped Tour was in town. For those unaware of what that is, it's basically a traveling tour of modern rock and punk and pop bands that snakes around the country each and every summer, playing to the masses and masses of teens and tweens. Don't get me wrong, there are quite a few bands on the tour that are worthy of seeing (hell, there are even a few that still find their way onto my play list occasionally), but for the most part I think I've outgrown the misery of baking in the sun all day and listening to not-so-great music.
Four years ago, I was that guy in the band and we played Warped Tour when it rolled through Charlotte. It was a blast. All those people there to see you, adore you, and revel in your music. Nothing comes close to that feeling. I was also that kid that drove 5 hours to admire my favorite bands. I wonder what changed. What made me realize that standing there all day in the sun, wasting numerous amounts of time gawking at bands, spending endless amounts of money on overpriced merch and crappy food, and leaving with nothing more than a headache and empty wallet was pointless.
I guess I grew up. And I can honestly say, I'm glad I did. It's kinda fun being the guy in the car next to the kids on the way to their first rock show. I hope they had a blast. I hope they never forget it. But I'm content enjoying the air conditioner and the comfort of my home.
I suppose this is me attempting to explain that my life has rotated 180 degrees in the past few years. Who knows...
Thanks for listening.
ps. just want to clarify, this is by no means me ridiculing the Warped Tour or the bands on the tour. I know some of those guys and respect the hell outta what they do. Peace.
Four years ago, I was that guy in the band and we played Warped Tour when it rolled through Charlotte. It was a blast. All those people there to see you, adore you, and revel in your music. Nothing comes close to that feeling. I was also that kid that drove 5 hours to admire my favorite bands. I wonder what changed. What made me realize that standing there all day in the sun, wasting numerous amounts of time gawking at bands, spending endless amounts of money on overpriced merch and crappy food, and leaving with nothing more than a headache and empty wallet was pointless.
I guess I grew up. And I can honestly say, I'm glad I did. It's kinda fun being the guy in the car next to the kids on the way to their first rock show. I hope they had a blast. I hope they never forget it. But I'm content enjoying the air conditioner and the comfort of my home.
I suppose this is me attempting to explain that my life has rotated 180 degrees in the past few years. Who knows...
Thanks for listening.
ps. just want to clarify, this is by no means me ridiculing the Warped Tour or the bands on the tour. I know some of those guys and respect the hell outta what they do. Peace.
Can PC's really fly?
27 Jun 2008
I do the majority of my work on my Mac, but I'm working on some stuff on the PC right now and I must say, it's about to get launched into orbit.
a) the wireless mouse isn't responding, so I switched to the corded mouse and the scroll wheel is non responsive.
b) I successfully grew a beard, shaved it, and grew it back and this Photoshop file still hadn't finished loading.
c) I save constantly to avoid losing hours of work. Of course, the PC decides to freeze and hang and sputter and stall and mock me as I'm saving.
It's like making it to the major leagues then getting shipped down to the rookie leagues after 2-3 seasons...
a) the wireless mouse isn't responding, so I switched to the corded mouse and the scroll wheel is non responsive.
b) I successfully grew a beard, shaved it, and grew it back and this Photoshop file still hadn't finished loading.
c) I save constantly to avoid losing hours of work. Of course, the PC decides to freeze and hang and sputter and stall and mock me as I'm saving.
It's like making it to the major leagues then getting shipped down to the rookie leagues after 2-3 seasons...
25 Reasons You Might Be A Hardcore Graphic/Web Designer
23 Jun 2008
I thought these were very appropriate and very accurate. Originally posted on Bittbox in April 2007. Unsure of who the author is, but they nailed it right on the head with these reasons.
(In no particular order)
1. You've almost rear-ended the car in front of you because you were analyzing a font on a billboard.
2. You get pissed when a free Photoshop brush you download is less than 1000px in size.
3. You'd rather study the paisley pattern on your boyfriend/girlfriend's shirt than listen to what he/she has to say.
4. You can use keyboard shortcuts at light speed, blindfolded, but you can't type a paragraph of text without staring at the keyboard.
5. You've had "Software Nightmares," when you've been working way too much.
6. You consider meals interruptions.
7. You've learned your lesson and stopped using the word "final" in any file name when saving.
8. You clean your keyboard more often than you wash your car.
9. You've intentionally given up trying to explain your projects to non-designers.
10. You see CMYK and RGB like Neo sees the Matrix.
11. You'd rather organize your desktop than your sock drawer.
12. When you heard that Adobe was acquiring Macromedia, you had a Design Orgasm.
13. When you look at Album art all you see are grunge Photoshop Brushes. (Then you see the album art a couple minutes later)
14. You've Photoshopped out a watermark for a comp or mock-up.
15. You've actually $paid for a font.
16. You've totally slaughtered a great design concept because the client thinks he/she knows best. (everyone thinks they are a designer)
17. The amount of words you've written with a sharpie labeling burned discs total more than the amount of words you've read in novels.
18. You've had to explain to a client that a layered file wasn't part of the deal.
19. You've kept a ragged concert ticket just so you could scan it.
20. You've nicknamed the OSX spinning wheel. (and not affectionately)
21. You bookmark a resource more often than you have a fun night out on the town.
22. You've intentionally overbid a project because you can sniff out a bad client from a mile away.
23. You can't go to a restaurant without secretly critiquing the menu design.
24. You have an amazingly huge font collection, and an amazingly short temper.
25. If you had a penny for every mouse click, you would have been a trillionaire 3 years ago.
It's raining again...
22 Jun 2008
I wish I was back here.
My 2:00 a.m. Buddy!
22 Jun 2008
Led Zeppelin playing in iTunes... 
Ice cold glass of Coca-Cola to go with my Chips Deluxe Chewy Chocolate Chip cookies...
Almost finishing this website...
Having my best buddy helping me out...
Ice cold glass of Coca-Cola to go with my Chips Deluxe Chewy Chocolate Chip cookies...
Almost finishing this website...
Having my best buddy helping me out...
Thunderstorms
21 Jun 2008
So it looks like I'm finally going to get this website of mine up and running. I've owned the name for close to 4 years now and I've gone through many, many designs, but I've finally put some effort into it and completed it. I felt it was time to show myself some love and give my work some wings. It's always fun to try and create something for yourself. When I design for someone else, I usually have an additional set of opinions to work with. But when it's something for myself, I tend to battle and beat my ideas up before they even have the chance to be born.
With all that being said, I hope you'll take the time to venture throughout the site and check things out. I intentionally kept the site very simple as I wanted the work to be the focal point. I do have some additional ideas and concepts I want to work into the design in the near future, so keep an eye open.
There is thunder rolling over the hills outside. Shinobi is growling. I should probably go.
Much love.
With all that being said, I hope you'll take the time to venture throughout the site and check things out. I intentionally kept the site very simple as I wanted the work to be the focal point. I do have some additional ideas and concepts I want to work into the design in the near future, so keep an eye open.
There is thunder rolling over the hills outside. Shinobi is growling. I should probably go.
Much love.