... if it weren't for the fucking clients....

From Clerks:

RANDALL: This job would be great if it weren't for the fucking customers.

...or something like that.

Man, I hate clients. Well, not all of them. It's just that clients don't know how to be clients. You see, the process should go something like this:

1. Client approaches you with request for (graphics/video) work to be done
2. Client provides you with everything you will need (designs, illustrator files, logos, colour schemes, instructions, etc) -- this one is important!
3. You listen to client's wishes, repeat them to client, and set off to work
4. You show your preliminary work to the client for feedback
5. Client provides feedback, requiring that you make some changes and tweak things
6. You make the changes and tweaks
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 until it's done
8. Client pays you
9. You buy new game/X360/new graphics card/booze
10. Pay rent and other overdue bills
    

I'm having a rant just now because of a client who asked for a design without giving any input. At all. They gave me a copy of their invite which was just blue text on white with a sort of blue stripe feature on 1 of the pages. So I did my best, and came up with a design that I thought, frankly, was crap. But the client liked it, and requested a tweak. That was fine.

AND THEN I was asked to make further changes -- in essence, to throw away the majority of the design in favour of a baffling new one which squishes everything into a third of the screen and leaves the rest for a purdy animation that was really only a background loop.

So, being studious and industrious and all that, I did what the client wanted, because hey, we give em what they want, right? Anyways, I have no doubt that it shall be rejected and they will ask for a further change, but one that is in line with my previous efforts. So when they do that (and they will, I'm 95% sure of it) I will be left, wanting to say 'thanks for wasting my time' but of course, unable to because we need clients, right?

Well, I'm with Randall. I'd love this job... etc, etc